Breath of Heart
by Joxhaus
Summary: What would happen to a timeline of fated heroes... If beings from another realm of existence, invaded their world to bring more darkness to their reality? The heroes of Hyrule and their light will be tested by the Calamity and by the mysterious Organization XIII. Fortunately, they will not be alone in this fight. An unlikely being will become their guardian, ally and maybe more.
1. Simple Pleasantries

**Author's Note****: Welcome to a new little series I was kind of thinking about. So something I want to preface before we begin. From a lore standpoint, we don't really know what happened in the past specifically, in-between the war where Link collapsed in battle, up until where Link wakes up. Being my first fanfiction crossover I wanted to experiment with two of my favorite games and see what would happen if I created a new little story. (Yes, my original character is still kinda floating around in my stories. But I'm going to try and focus more on the story than the original character I have.) **

**Also, please please please read the end notes, I usually try to clarify things about the story and even summarize things that happen. **

**Just as a forewarning though, I'm using a similar dialog style as I did in my "Conflicting Reality" story. However the story will primarily be told in 3rd person. Anyway enjoy!**

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Chapter 1: Simple Pleasantries

* * *

"_It is something that grows over time... a true friendship. A feeling in the heart that becomes even stronger through time... the passion of friendship will soon blossom into righteous power through it, you'll know which way to go..._" - Sheik (Ocarina of Time)

* * *

In this existence we live in, there are many different planes of reality beyond the normal world we live in. Multiple timelines for each existence, every world and every person; they are all vaguely connected by the heart, and the relationships that are forged between them. But... what would happen to a timeline of fated heroes... If beings from another world, or realm of existence, invaded their world to bring more darkness to their reality?

The world... or in this case, the fated kingdom of Hyrule has advanced in their civilization and technology over the years. The people in this kingdom have managed to usher a new era of peace and power, especially with the creation of automaton defenders known as Guardians. However, not all good things last, especially in a timeline bound by fate. A curse of pure malice and evil gave birth to the creature known as Ganon and like the legend continues to follow... two incarnations of this Kingdom's fated heroes would arise to end the calamity... to end the evil. Those two fated Heroes were known to be Zelda and Link.

When the calamity first came into the land of Hyrule... the fated Heroes were ready for the threat... knowing the cycle was bound to arise once more. In their preparation, they gathered several brave souls from the corners of their land, known as the Champions. These Champions piloted special Guardians known as the Divine Beasts and with their aide, the fated heroes and the champions vanquished the calamity easily.

However, even though they won their battle, the war was far from over. Ganon, did not perish from his defeat... and in his recovery and embarrassment he devised a plan to turn Hyrule's greatest defenses, via their own Guardians, against them... corrupting them and killing many of Hyrule's denizens.

This unexpected turn of events in the next battle... the heroes suffered immense casualties. Their champions perished and their souls trapped in the Divine Beasts they controlled. In the fields of Hyrule, Zelda and her chosen knight Link were fighting off Ganon's army of monsters... they were fighting for their very lives in preparation for the next phase of the timeline. The Castle of Zelda's descendants were lost to Calamity Ganon. In this struggle, the fated hero Link became mortally wounded, collapsing on the field.

Zelda: "LINK! No, no, NO! You can't die on me! You're the only one who can end the calamity! We need to get him out of here!"

Zelda made several attempts to have her remaining allies to get Link to a safe place, but the army of monsters were becoming much more aggressive, preventing the remaining soldiers from assisting her. Some of them were even slaughtered in the process. Zelda herself was struggling on the battlefield and their situation seemed rather bleak.

Zelda: "Impa! I need your assistance! Please get Link out of here! He needs to recover!"

The leader of the Sheikah managed to join the heroes in the field for their battles along with a small group of members from her clan. She took up Link's injured body but looked to the army that surrounded them. She was uncertain about a safe escape. In this timeline, the army that Ganon sent to destroy the heroes was beyond overwhelming and they were unprepared for their situation.

Impa: "Zelda, the army is much more dense than I imagined... We've lost more soldiers than expected... and without a break in their force, I won't be able to get him away!"

Zelda: "W-what... what can we do...?"

The chosen princess and leader of the Sheikah were severely outnumber and with only a few soldiers and Sheikah members left at their sides, the moment on the battlefield seemed rather hopeless for a way out. As the army drew closer, a flash of an instant several monsters on the front lines were torn apart and vanished by a quick unseen force. Impa's keen sight and senses noticed that there was a blur of what appeared to be a modest sized wire before it disappeared, ripping the front lines as they grew closer.

Impa: "What the..."

?: "If you surrender in your heart... then your existence will end here. Don't give in..."

In the short moment of an echoed dialog, a large void appeared in between the survivors and the horde. As the void dissipated, a mysterious figure dressed in a long black coat with various chains and ornaments decorating the front of the coat stood in front of Zelda and her forces. His face was hidden under a well designed hood... but he could see everything just fine. He also carried an oddly designed sword, one that was not seen in this world. This new change of events did not sway the monsters from Ganon's army but it seemed to make them more agitated.

Zelda: "Who... are you?"

In the moment, several monsters started to charge at the stranger, but before they got close, he swung his sword without moving from his position. The sword shot out further than its normal length spanning several meters, appearing to be more of a whip than a sword in the moment. It cleared out several enemies with only one swing and even knocked the army back a bit from a slight shock wave.

?: "In the reality of this world... the existence of the future... can only rely on the will of heroes... and the continuation of the cycle between light and dark... be ready to move to safety."

Zelda: "W-what do you mean?"

Even with their lines shaken, more of Ganon's forces approached. The stranger's sword retracted before he shot his sword into the ground. The ground shook the entire field and several massive wired blades ripped apart the ground, lashing down hell on the monsters. Like a legendary Kraken of the sea, dozens, and even hundreds of monsters were torn apart, eviscerated, and even turned to dust, leaving only a few of them left. Ganon's forces were reduced by a substantial amount, and what was left retreated from this stranger or curiously strayed from the pack, apparently not afraid of death. As the wires returned back into the earth, the snake sword eventually retracted back to a normal sword from the ground.

Impa: "Who... the hell is this guy...? No matter... Zelda, we need to move while the forces are diminished."

Zelda: "A-ah! R-right! Move out!"

Zelda ordered the remainder of her forces to move out and cover Impa and the Sheikah, as she carried the unconscious Link away to suitable cover temporarily. Zelda looked toward the castle, debating on her plan to distract and trap calamity Ganon in Hyrule Castle... But she noticed the stranger was still standing there. She didn't quite know why he was still here. While she thought about it, another monster tried to attack him, the stranger quickly moved and his snake sword would impale the creature from a distance in its whip form before destroying it. As the weapon quickly retracted to a normal sword, Zelda seemed rather fearful of him, seeing how one individual could destroy entire army on his own... but she wanted to thank him for his help. Realistically, her life, as well as Impa's life, her clan and the remainder of her soldiers... they were all saved through his actions. The wind blew lightly across the field; there was some unease as she approached him as calmly as she could. The stranger spoke softly to her, sensing she was a bit closer behind him.

?: "...Aren't you going to move along with the rest of your forces...?"

Zelda: "A-ah... yes... but... I-I wanted to thank you for your help..."

She seemed to be stuttering a bit being put in an unusual situation. She couldn't tell what the stranger's intentions were or if he was even considered "friendly". His voice sounded rather... sad. Even a bit mellow... or maybe empty. It only made her more curious about the individual. His back was still facing her, but hearing that she wanted to thank him... he was curious to understand why she would care about a random Nobody like him. He turned towards her, his face still hiding under his hood.

?: "You wish to thank me...? There... is really no need for such a thing. It would be best for you not to concern yourself for my sake."

Zelda: "W-well... I-I insist! Nobody saves my life, as well as the lives of others and leaves without appreciation! C-could you at least come with us for a short time? At least until we get to safety...? Please?"

?: "... You don't know anything about me... and you would risk having a stranger acting as a guardian for you for a short time? ... I am not even suppose to be here ... However, I will join you... but only because there is something else I must do before I leave..."

Zelda: "A-Alright... we should get going then.. a-and thank you again..."

?: "..."

Zelda sighed lightly in relief knowing he didn't seem all that bad. A few of the remaining soldiers and Sheikah stayed behind making sure Zelda would be protected on their short journey. The stranger walked with them but from a slight distance behind Zelda. She would constantly look back to make sure he was still following, she had so many questions... but she felt now was not the time to interrogate him.

When they reached the rendezvous point for their forces, Impa came up to the stranger and Zelda for a moment.

Impa: "Princess... I do hope you're okay... many of us suffered casualties... I checked on Link as well... he's in critical condition... I'll have to take him to the Shrine of Resurrection tonight."

In the moment another member of the Sheikah Clan waltzed up behind her sounding a bit distressed from what's been happening. Impa's older sister felt uncertain of her choice.

Purah: "Tonight!? Sister, I implore you! The Shrine of Resurrection hasn't been tested yet!"

Impa: "We don't have any other choice Purah..."

Zelda: "I have barely endured from the fighting... but Link needs to live! Do what you must to get him there. I'll take care of the remaining injuries of those who are here, as well as my own. Please Impa, Purah."

Purah: "... Very well Princess Zelda... The Sheikah Clan will do what we can to get him there safely."

Impa: "Are you certain you can take up that task Princess? ...And what about him? Can we trust this stranger...?"

Zelda: "Impa... he saved all of us... I don't think he means us any harm... You should at least be a bit grateful."

Impa: "I am... it's just... unsettling how circumstances just so happen to work in our favor, from one person we've never seen before... it's suspiciously convenient."

The Sheikah didn't seem to trust the unknown individual, her eyes darted over to him. He was quiet, observing everything that was going on around him... yet he was acutely aware of their conversation.

?: "I sense your distrust... it would be better for you to not carry that doubt in your heart... I do not mean anyone in this world any harm."

Impa: "So... you have sharp hearing... I appreciate what you've done for us today stranger... but... if I hear something has happened to our Princess while I'm away... I will personally hunt you down... Do keep that in mind."

The stranger did not respond to her threat, but Impa looked back to Zelda and nodded to her slightly.

Purah: "Sister, you can warrant out official death threats later, we need to get Link to the Shrine before nightfall."

Impa: "Yes... I know... we shall head out now... time is of the essence for him."

Zelda: "May the goddess Hylia protect you both and Link... Gods' speed... and be safe."

Impa and Purah both smiled to her and they made their way over to the coma induced Link, along with a few other members of their clan. They picked him up and quickly took him away from their camp, disappearing from view after a few minutes.

Zelda: "I... apologize for her over-protective nature... she means well... I promise."

?: "... it's understandable... you are... the royalty of this land?"

Zelda: "O-oh my... forgive me. I was so caught up in all the action I didn't introduce myself... I am Zelda, princess of the Kingdom of Hyrule. I-It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance sir."

She smiled as well as bowed slightly to him, being formal. The stranger was quiet for a moment, as if he were processing everything he's heard. He bowed slightly to her in response.

?: "I see... it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well your highness..."

Zelda: "Could I inquire what your name is, sir?"

Zelda's smile grew even brighter hoping to understand this person in more detail. The individual turned his head away from her. Almost as if he was trying to avoid eye contact for a moment. From her perspective, he seemed a bit shy.

?: "I'm... not quite certain if I should share my name just yet... my apologizes princess."

Zelda: "B-but why? If you don't mind me asking..."

?: "There is simply a lot that you need to be aware of... and one of my few reasons for even being here... is to warn you about a threat that has yet to come. Perhaps... after I do that, I could... possibly share my name."

Zelda: "Huh...? A-are you a messenger from the future or something? What do you need to warn me about?"

?: "You... could say that. I would refer myself as more of a guardian of sorts... and I must warn you... even though you fight a war with a calamity of darkness now. A second darkness is coming from another realm of existence... They will have an attire similar to mine... but know this: They will be your enemy. They are Organization XIII. The Seekers of Darkness... and they will bring more chaos and darkness into your Kingdom. So be cautious, and protect yourself from them... When your Knight wakes up from his injuries, he must be warned as well."

The princess was rather bewildered; she could feel her heart sinking as she processed this information. She was already aware of her fate to fight Ganon... whether she's ready for it or not. But now knowing a second threat would be coming to her Kingdom and her people... anxiety started to build inside of her. She became uneasy and weak in the knees. She sat down for a moment, breathing rather heavily. She was still physically worn down from her battle earlier, still rather injured so her exhaustion certainly wasn't helping.

Zelda: "A... A second darkness...? But.. how could we ever prepare for it...? My kingdom and our forces are already crippled, my friends... my Champions... all gone... my knight, critically injured... w-what am I going to do...? I... I-I can't do this alone..."

Zelda started to cry softly, lowering her head. A few of the soldiers nearby noticed this and were concerned, but were uncertain to approach. The stranger knelt down beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He could feel the unease and pain she was going through... and through a single touch he could see so much of her life... her friends, family... her successes, her happiness... and even her struggles and failures. Within a moment... the stranger started to feel something else. It was oddly familiar to him, but thinking back to now, he only wished to help her.

?: "I cannot stand to see a girl cry... I can feel the tension and pain you've held in your heart... and I understand all that you're going through princess... Just know you are not alone. Even with all the loss, the struggles... there will still be a bright side... even if it seems hopeless. As long as you... and your Knight... continues to live... all will go according to plan... you will be able to save your people... your land... your descendants... and you'll avenge your friends... your family. So do not let this darkness pull your heart down... it will only make your situation that much more difficult. Your Knight is more than capable to take on this second darkness... will it be easy...? No. Which is why I will have to warn him when he awakens... and perhaps your other friends too..."

The stranger looked down for a moment, thinking a bit to himself. He was rather familiar with how most of the events in this world and timeline would play out... and even though he shouldn't be in their world helping them... he was hoping to find a way to at least "bend the rules" a bit for her sake. He looked back to her for a moment. Zelda was still sobbing gently next to him. She looked to him, she seemed to understand what he said. Her crying slowed down to sniffles and the stranger handed her a handkerchief that he had in his pocket. Completely clean and unused.

?: "I will try to stay... to help you all for as long as I can... if it will help you princess... and here... you can keep this... you need it more than I ever will."

She sniffled softly and gratefully took the handkerchief from his hand wiping her eyes slowly. She was shaking a little, but she appeared to be calming down.

Zelda: "T-thank you..."

Within a few minutes she stopped crying, still only sniffling. For a moment, she managed to see a glimpse of his appearance from where she was seated. He was a young man... with one blue eye and his other eye seemed mixed in with blue and brown. His face appeared to have slight facial hair along his jawline and chin while also having faint markings lining down his cheeks like tear marks. His expression seemed empty or calm, it was hard to tell for her. Zelda attempted to give him back his handkerchief after she stopped crying. But the stranger shook his head.

?: "You do not need to thank me... and please... hold on to that handkerchief... you need to try and heal yourself up now... we can discuss more about the issue later..."

He had a very faint smile under his hood and he took out a small bottle from his coat pocket, placing it in her hand. She was still a bit shaken up from earlier but it certainly didn't help that she was still wounded.

?: "Here... this should help your recovery process... it's an elixir that I save for rare occasions or severe injuries..."

Zelda: "O-oh... I couldn't possibly take something like this from you... you've done so much for me already that could never pay back... and I-I-"

Her sentence was cutoff. The stranger put a finger over her lips and took the bottle from her for a moment. He popped the cork that was keeping the capsule secured and placed it back in her hands.

?: "You. Are. Injured... You will take this to speed up your recovery... and I will not take 'no' for an answer... understood...?"

His tone of voice shifted to be a bit more stern and serious. He even glared at her for a moment when he put the bottle back in her hand. He didn't care if she was royalty or not... he was determined to help her recover. Zelda shook for a moment and gulped silently. She was a bit nervous by his change of tone and serious demeanor.

?: "Please do not make me force you to drink it..."

Zelda: "I... ah... v-very well then... if you insist."

She gave in knowing that he probably wouldn't let her off the hook if she declined again... aside from the fact she didn't know what he was capable of and personally didn't want to push her luck. She cautiously took a sip of the elixir, before drinking the whole bottle within a minute or so. She closed her eyes for a moment and she started feeling a bit more relaxed and rejuvenated. The stranger could even tell more color was coming back to her skin. She sighed gently and looked at the bottle before looking back at him. She seemed even more impressed.

Zelda: "Well... you're certainly quite the savior aren't you?"

?: "...I'm just glad that you're feeling better..."

He had been kneeling for a while, but he stood back up and took a seat next to her on a medium sized rock. He wasn't looking at her though, just out at the distance. Zelda tilted her head a bit, still trying to figure him out but she wasn't sure what to ask him. Her train of thought was interrupted by one of her soldiers.

Hylian Guard: "Your highness... we require your counsel for our next move. Dusk is starting to approach and we still have a few injured."

Zelda: "Oh.. y-yes, gather the remaining forces and I will announce our next move in a moment."

Hylian Guard: "Understood your highness. We will await your orders."

The guard left them for a moment, Zelda stood up and turned to him.

Zelda: "I apologize... I will return in a moment."

?: "No need for apologizes... I understand, so do as you must."

She smiled rather sincerely and walked away from him for the time being. She addressed the remainder of her forces of her plans to retreat to a nearby village and to prep for her next move against the calamity. After her short rally she took the time to help patch up some of the wounded soldiers, occasionally flashing glances toward her new acquaintance. The stranger sat alone for a short time, he noticed the sky was clouding up even more, getting darker and even some distant thunder. No one was around as he spoke to himself.

?: "Sounds like we'll be moving again, once more... the sky is rather cloudy... close to rain... close to storm... will this storm see an eye of peace? ...or be a constant hell for the people here... only time will tell... the future, is rather foggy here."

He sighed gently to himself, gently feeling a raindrop hit the top of his hood. Zelda returned back to him afterwards, but she was looking at a Sheikah slate for a moment. Gently tapping on it a few times before it randomly flashed at the stranger.

Zelda: "Oh! S-sorry! I hope I didn't make you wait too long."

?: "Hmm... no... I'm fine... I can be patient when I want to be... but why did that just flash...?"

Zelda: "Hm..? O-oh... uh.. no reason in particular. I just misclicked a button on here. T-That's all... by the way. We're going to be moving again soon... I do hope you'll join us for dinner, yes...?"

The stranger seemed to see through her lying... but he didn't care too much since it probably wasn't a big deal... but he thought about it for a moment and personally he wouldn't turn down a free meal, especially if he didn't have to cook it himself.

?: "I... suppose I could... that sounds... rather nice."

Zelda: "It's the least I could do to thank you..."

?: "... By the way... you're not a very good liar."

Zelda: "H-huh? W-what do you mean!?"

She was getting a bit fidgety with the Sheikah slate in her hands and almost dropped it as the stranger looked towards her.

?: "I'm not mad or anything... but your expression and how you answered kind of gave it away... What did you really do...?"

He wasn't being entirely truthful himself, he was actually able to tell if someone was lying or not no matter who it was... an odd little ability that he believes comes in handy sometimes, but it's something he's trying not to abuse. But caught in such an awkward situation, Zelda's heart was racing a bit and she was rather confounded by how he was able to tell... but his reasoning made sense to her.

Zelda: "A-ah... w-well.. I uh.. might have taken a picture of you in my Sheikah slate... I hope you don't mind...?"

?: "Hmm... I'm glad you're being truthful now... but no, I don't mind... although, you could have just asked."

Zelda was getting rather flustered and embarrassed from being called out on such a small thing. She didn't think he'd notice or even understand what the Sheikah slate would do. The stranger smirked under his hood but calmly continued.

?: "Don't worry too much about it... like I said I'm not mad or anything... where will our next destination be though...?"

The princess took a moment to recompose herself and she flipped through the Sheikah slate again. She sat down a bit closer next to him and showed him the map of the land. Pointing out where they were in conjunction of where they would be heading.

Zelda: "Kakariko Village, to the East... if we get moving now, we'll make it before nightfall."

?: "Very well... I suppose we should get a move on then shouldn't we..?"

Zelda nodded to him and they both stood up. The stranger followed Zelda and her forces as they moved out and made their way towards Kakariko Village.

On the way though, Zelda took a hold of the strangers arm and made him walk with her. He started to get a bit flustered, but no one could really tell with his face still hiding under his hood. The guards were uneasy by Zelda's actions but they chose to watch the stranger carefully.

?: "... S-something I can help you with...?"

Zelda: "You still haven't told me your name yet... and it's rather impolite not to tell a lady your name after you save her from a hopeless situation."

The stranger was hoping she would have forgotten to ask his name after everything so far... but he figured it could only go on for so long. He was rather uneasy being pinned in this situation. But there was no escaping it, he decided to just accept the situation.

?: "I... uh... go by a few different names... I'm not entirely sure which one would be suitable..."

Zelda: "Well... I believe you'll have to share all those names then!"

He could feel a cold sweat running behind him. He personally hated all his names, but it was something he could not change. It was either that or lying to her... and to himself. He couldn't bring himself to completely lie in this situation.

?: "Well... fine... I will tell you the name I've gone by recently... sound fair?"

Zelda: "Hmm.. I believe that will be acceptable... so...?"

?: "My current name has been '_Joxhaus_' ..."

Zelda: "Joxhaus? That's certainly unique."

Joxhaus: "Yes... I suppose so... I kind of hate all my names... I sometimes prefer to not even go by them."

Zelda: "But why hate them? Granted I understand 'Joxhaus' is an odd name... but I do like it to be perfectly honest! It seems to suit you... Does it have a significant meaning?"

Joxhaus: "Meaning? Well... sort of... although it's not all too important at the moment."

Zelda could tell he was trying to be a bit more open with her... even if it was just a few small steps at a time. She didn't mind being patient with him especially since they had some spare time.

Zelda: "Oh... I understand... But, it is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance formally, Joxhaus! See? ... That wasn't so bad was it?"

Joxhaus: "Easy for you to say... So... how long are you going to hang onto my arm?"

Zelda: "Hmm... probably until we get to Kakariko Village. So, I expect you'll endure it."

Joshua: "It doesn't seem like I even have a choice..."

Zelda's smile was rather bright, even after everything she's been through so far today. Even from a completely hopeless situation, her fate to defeat Calamity Ganon will still live on thanks to her new companion. The Nobody however, was still a bit uncomfortable about his situation, but in the back of his mind he was a bit determined to help her... especially with a second threat on the way to interfere with this fated timeline. It will only be a matter time if the sequence of events fall into place like they should.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Plateau Heights and the Shine of Restoration, Impa and Purah managed to get Link into his recovery chamber before dusk. They were both rather winded having to haul him around for such a distance, but some things can't be helped. Purah calibrated the chamber to awaken him once he was fully restored in his health, while Impa left behind a spare Sheikah slate for him on the nearby console. They both started to head out and they looked behind them at Link's body one more time.

Impa: "Everyone's counting on you kid... don't take forever to wake up for us... Rest easy, Link."

Purah: "Everything should go according to plan Impa... Our restoration technology has not failed us yet, and once he wakes up, he'll put an end to all of this. I know he's talented and skilled enough to end this war."

Impa: "I sure hope so..."

Impa sighed gently to herself and they both left the shine. Locked it appropriately so no one would risk bothering him in the recovery process. Impa looked out to the temple that was across the way. She figured it would be a better place than any to spend the evening. It was already late and the sun had almost completely set over the horizon.

Purah: "Sister do we have to spend the night at the old temple? Couldn't we just relocate to one of the other shrines instead?"

Impa: "...did you pack extra sleeping equipment for the night?"

Purah: "Well... sort of. The clan brought along a few blankets and such and a little bit of food... I figured we were going to another Shrine after this... it just seems safer than being out in the open."

There was a slight groan in agitation. Impa pointed towards the temple again.

Impa: "Then we're staying at the temple... even though it's been abandoned recently since this war started... there should still be sleeping accommodations... and maybe a bit of extra food left behind."

Purah: "If it's abandoned, we'll have to check for monsters too... let's just get this over with then."

The two sisters and their clan moved forward toward the temple. As they approached, they could hear a ruckus going on near the temple. Several Bokoblins were running out of the temple... however, they seemed to have little black creatures covering them and attacking them. To the clan and the sisters, this was an oddly sight. Most monsters under Ganon's control like Bokoblins or anything else... didn't fight each other...

They witnessed a few of the Bokoblins fall victim to these shadow like creatures. Some of them even pressed themselves down into the ground and started moving across the field like shadows themselves. Impa drew her weapon being prepared for anything that would happen. All of the Bokoblins perished to this new, unforeseen enemy and they turned to see the Sheikah Clan. Half a dozen more sprang up from the ground behind them and the clan drew their weapons too.

Impa: "From one problem... into another..."

Purah: "You could say that again... what are these things?"

Impa: "Just kill them first... then you can ask those questions later."

The Sheikah fought off the stranger little creatures and easily dispatched them after a few minutes since they were seasoned warriors... but off in the distance, another lone stranger was watching the fight from a distance. Wearing a long black coat with similar chains and ornaments... with his hood up as well. He kept his arrowgun weapon pointed at the group. He had no intention on firing a shot at the Sheikah, or the shadows. He had a smug grin on his face, under his hood.

?: "Well... would ya look at that... Heartless in this world too now? I guess this world might have some potential after all. Too bad I can't play around with the locals yet... then again I would never complain about field work... but this does make for a good show.~"

He laughed a bit to himself and continued to watch the Sheikah for a time until they finished their fight. The clan entered the temple to set up their camp and sleeping arrangements for the night, Purah took several notes in her journal about what they just witnessed today, from Joxhaus and to the little black shadow creatures. She was rather excited that new things came around to keep her curiosity. While Impa was just satisfied they made it through the day... The evening was still very young and it had only begun.

* * *

Back in the south-eastern portion of Hyrule... Zelda and her forces managed to successfully make it to Kakariko Village by dusk... it was almost considerably night time by the time they finished settling in... Joxhaus seemed rather distracted and intrigued by the new culture he was surrounded with, but Zelda kept leading him along through the village to get their temporary lodging arrangements settled. She led him to where they would be staying for the time being, she even went out of her way to pay for the lodging expenses. The Nobody stared at her for a moment trying to understand her actions.

Joxhaus: "You realize, this is highly unnecessary, right...?"

Zelda: "I do not believe so... this is just my way of thanking you right now. I'm going to pay for your stay here and anything you wish to get while you're here. That will also include food."

Joxhaus: "...like I said, highly unnecessary..."

Zelda only seemed to chuckle slightly before turning back to face him. She leaned in and sticking out her index finger and pointed at him. Trying to be threatening and serious.

Zelda: "You've saved my life today and I will treat you tonight as my way of thanking you... and I will not take '_no_' for an answer, okay?"

The Nobody chuckled very softly under his hood and sighed. He wasn't exactly taking her seriously... but since she basically stole his line from earlier, he decided to let it go.

Joxhaus: "Very well Princess..."

Zelda smiled and giggled, seemingly satisfied. She started to walk out into the village again, while tugging on Joxhaus' coat to lead him once again.

Zelda: "Good. Besides, I paid for you in advance... so please try to enjoy your stay here... and by the way, please just call me Zelda."

She looked back at him for a moment with a sincere smile and led him to another building that they would be eating at for the evening... as they took a seat and awaited for dinner, Zelda tilted her head at him for a moment.

Zelda: "Aren't you going to take off your hood...? I'm surprised you can even see with it being over your face like that."

Joxhaus: "I have been used to it believe it or not... but you do make a point..."

He pulled his hood back to formally reveal his face to her. Zelda's eyes widened a bit more as he did so. She took a moment to examine him. His hair was dark brown and the markings on his face were much more clear. They almost appeared as black tear lines streaking down his cheeks. He even had one distinct but faint scar on his forehead. It made her even more curious.

Their food came out to them shortly after and they started to eat for a little while. As they ate, Zelda kept making small glances at him. And oddly enough Joxhaus did the same, occasionally catching her looking at him. But to avoid any awkwardness, she did try asking him a few questions.

Zelda: "So... Could I ask where you're from?"

Joxhaus: "I suppose... I am not from this land... but that is all I will say. I'm just a stranger here."

Zelda: "I see... Why else are you here though...? I know you mentioned earlier that you were here mainly to warn me about a future threat... and that you weren't suppose to be here... could you enlighten me about that?"

Joxhaus: "Like I said prior to that... I am a guardian of sorts... I originally was a part of the Organization that will threaten your world... but, I changed my purpose and now I place my services to make sure all realities and timelines go as intended..."

Zelda: "So this... Organization. They're planning to disrupt my future?"

Joxhaus: "I believe so... I cannot exactly tell how it will happen, but I have to keep my eyes open at all times for changes."

Zelda: "If... you were one of them... how could I trust you?"

Joxhaus: "I'm not sure why you'd ask that question... you trust me now, yes? Because, if I were the enemy, I would not have saved you from earlier... or worse, if you wish to think about it?"

Zelda: "N-no thanks..."

Joxhaus: "Please don't misjudge me Zelda, I only wish for yours and this world's future to move forward accordingly, without the interference of the Organization. Their plans will only bring ruin to you and this world."

Zelda: "I do believe you... I just... wanted to be sure. Please understand... but I do sincerely thank you for all you've done for me today. I honestly do not know how I could ever repay you."

Joxhaus: "I do understand... So do not worry about it. Focus on your own safety and plan ahead moving forward."

Zelda: "I have already planned ahead, at least for my confrontation of Calamity Ganon. I intend on going home... to Hyrule castle. To sacrifice myself in order to trap Calamity Ganon inside the castle. He's not fully recovered his strength and it will only be a matter of time before he rages into our world again."

Joxhaus' eyes looked down and away from her for a moment. Self-sacrifice was not a topic he was very fond of...

Joxhaus: "I see... and there is no other way to go about it, is there?"

Zelda: "I'm afraid not... at least not one that I know of."

Joxhaus: "I'm going to assume you'll have to do that soon, yes?"

Zelda: "Unfortunately, yes... yet... I have some time to spare... but I truly don't want to go. I'm honestly afraid that I will fail my mission, because I know I'm not ready for it."

Joxhaus: "... fear and doubt are natural Zelda. No one would ever truly be ready for performing a huge, world changing role like yours. Even if you believe you're not ready for it... you were still chosen for this role, because **only** **you** can do it for the sake of this world. Just do your absolute best, and everything will go as planned."

Zelda carried a look of doubt and fear, but it slowly changed to a faint smile from his words of encouragement. Joxhaus knew it wouldn't be the perfect solution, but if she stayed hopeless, tragedy would only follow. He was well aware of how her powers would awaken appropriately but he wanted her to have confidence in herself, even though realistically she was struggling on the inside. She nodded softly though as she seemed to feel a bit better about herself and what she would be doing.

Zelda: "Thank you, Joxhaus... truly."

The Nobody only smiled and nodded to her in response. After their initial conversation they continued to eat. A few more minutes passed and they finished. Joxhaus was drinking some of the freshly brewed tea when Zelda spoke up to him once more.

Zelda: "Joxhaus... could I ask you for a favor?"

Joxhaus turned to her with a skeptical look on his face and set his drink down for a moment. He wasn't quite sure what this could be about but he didn't see the harm in doing so.

Joxhaus: "I suppose you could... depends on the favor?"

She smiled and scooted closer to him and whispered to him softly...

* * *

End of Chapter 1: Simple Pleasantries

* * *

**Author's Note: Welcome to the beginning of the end! Or something like that. I want to thank my friend hyrulequeen and her boyfriend for reading over my first chapter early on and giving me their feedback.**

**I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter in my first crossover series. I am looking forward to this new story and I truly hope it becomes a nice little exciting experience. **

**So just a few small things to note that I wish to preface as we move forward:**

**The OC (Joxhaus):**

**\- My OC is an ex Organization member who chose to become a guardian of timelines and realities. (It was vaguely discussed.)**

**\- He uses a self-aware/living snake sword and uses a more complex fighting style that is slightly similar to Ivy Valentine from Soul Calibur.**

**\- Even as a Nobody in lacking true and appropriate emotion, he's still very kind and as considerate as he can be. **

**Zelda:**

**\- Just like the games, I want her to keep an important role in the story... and on top of that I want to have a little more focus on her here and there.(and yes there _might_ be a minor romance that might occur between the two... We'll see how I feel about it and how I want to write the story later on.)**

**\- What did she whisper to Joxhaus about? ... wouldn't you like to know? ;P**

**Link:**

**\- I'm bringing this up now, just to get it out of the way. I'm probably going to make Link talk in this series. It makes sense for him to NOT talk in the games because there's visuals to work with... here in story and writing, with a lack of visuals, he needs a voice. (That and every other fanfiction work for Legend of Zelda has him talking usually. Seems rather fitting.) **

**\- ALSO I will NOT tolerate any criticism on there being no Link X Zelda stuff here. (If you want to know why...) I am well aware that in _Breath of the Wild_, Link has a prior relationship with Mipha...-**

** \- (Edit as of 7/13/2020): So... there have been some conflicting opinions about this relationship stuff. Especially with the Zelda X Link relationship in _Breath of the Wild_. From what I could tell in most of the lore (and this happens in a lot of different games), is that there are always implications of possible relationships between various characters (Link X Zelda or Link X Mipha etc.), none of which are openly stated as fact [because... you know, family friendly games try very hard to avoid making any relationships super obvious. Even Kingdom Hearts makes it clearly obvious who the most reasonable (or possibly canon) "ships" are or should be. With the exception of _Kingdom Hearts 3_ (I.E. Sora X Kairi) where even Namura is making it clearly obvious at the end but the cast still uses the word "friend" (do you see the minor problem here yet?)]. Most "relationships" are based on the script, so it's all implied. And that just leaves fans to open interpretation. So sure, Link X Zelda makes sense most of the time but in _Breath of the Wild_, and even my own interpretation (/story) of the game, Link and Zelda have no real interaction in the game. All that's there, is memories of the past, and the only other time you get to see Link with Zelda is at the very end. So please, for the love of all that is holy. Stop getting triggered about it. It's not worth it. Canonically, yes Link X Zelda makes the most sense, but my story is not going in that direction. And if it seems like I'm ranting, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to clarify why I'm making this choice. **

**The story moving forward:**

**\- There might be weird little time gaps either in chapter changes or within the chapters themselves. (But those will be stated in the reading.) Just as a forewarning.**

** \- (Edit as of 7/13/2020) One question came up for the story moving forward. Someone asked if Sora and co was going to be involved in this overall story... Truth be told, I had no intention on putting Sora and co in my story. But to be fair, I'm not opposed to the idea, it's just going to make writing the whole story that much more complicated. Writing more dialog, actions and scenes for more characters is always going to be a pain. The Organization... I had originally planned scenes for all the members I would be using so that's not my concern. Adding another protagonist to the "hero" side might make the story more complicated than I wanted. So... my answer for including Sora and co, is I don't know yet. I want my story to end a very specific way and adding Sora might make it longer to get to that said end. If I can manage an appropriate story arch with Sora and co included, while still achieving the end I want, then it might happen. But only time will tell. **

**If there was any questions about the story you wanna ask about feel free to ask. Please be respectful of your comments or questions to me about the story though (THIS IS YOUR ONE AND ONLY WARNING MOVING FORWARD). Thank you ^_^**

* * *

_Next Chapter: The Dawn of a New Day_


	2. The Dawn of a New Day

**Author's Note****: Welcome back. I have a few individuals to thank for helping push the series forward. But we'll get to that towards the end. Please enjoy this new chapter. Also, I'd like to point out, this chapter might be a bit shorter for... obvious reasons. But enjoy. **

* * *

Chapter 2: The Dawn of a New Day

* * *

_"If you have a dream, don't wait. Act. One of life's little rules. Got it memorized?_"

\- Axel (Kingdom Hearts II)

* * *

100 years later... in the Shine of Resurrection.

A faint voice echoes to Link in his sleep. The machine he was placed in long ago started to drain out the liquid from within it. The time has finally come for Hyrule's chosen hero of light to awaken once more to finally end the calamity of darkness. In his sleep, all was dark around him. A golden light shined in his consciousness... telling him it was time to wake up.

Zelda's voice: "... Open your eyes..."

As he opened his eyes, they were slowly refocusing as he awoke from his restoration chamber.

Zelda's voice: "Wake up Link..."

The hero's bright blue eyes slowly moved from side to side, scanning the area around him while he was still laying down on his back... He could barely think straight after sleeping for so long. He questioned where he was at... since waking up his memories seemed rather fuzzy... He raised himself up slowly sitting up in the machine. Everything around him seemed rather dark or dusty and the only light sources he had for the moment, was the light blue glow of the machine he was sitting in... and the machine that sat above him.

Finally, he moved himself out of the machine and back onto his own two feet. He was only shaky for a moment but he felt oddly rejuvenated. Ahead of him, lied a door and a pedestal shimmering a blue glow as well. He made his way to the pedestal and gently touched it. The Sheikah technology reacted to his touch and started to move. The symbols on the pedestal shifted and turned and soon after the console propped up a Sheikah slate. Link tilted his head a bit in curiosity before reaching out and taking ahold of it. The voice was faintly speaking to him once more in his mind.

Zelda's voice: "This is a Sheikah slate... take it... it will help guide you after your long slumber."

The voice faded away and he examined it slightly. He felt that this was oddly familiar to him but he wasn't sure why... He's never seen it before... but the console moved a bit more back into place and the door started to move on its own. Opening a path forward.

As he entered the next room... he approached two chests and as he opened them, he received clothes were left behind for him. He had been walking around basically nude since waking up so he was indefinitely grateful. He took a moment to get the clothes on... and they felt a little on the small side in the sleeves and pant legs.

Once he was all settled, another one of those consoles were glowing in the distance in the darkened room. It was glowing bright orange, and as he approached it the voice faintly spoke to him again...

Zelda's voice: "Hold the Sheikah slate up to the pedestal... That will show you the way..."

He looked down at his waist where his Sheikah slate was located. He picked it up once more and did as he was instructed... Lining up the slate with the eye in the center of the pedestal. A small flash of blue light altered the pedestal's color to blue. Link returned the slate to his side and the machine appeared to speak...

Sheikah A.I.: "Authenticating... Sheikah Slate confirmed."

Soon after a surge of energy moved through the large door in front of him. The center eye, decorating the door glowed blue... slowly unlocking the door and opening it for Link...

Multiple rays of sunshine flew into the dark shine, almost as if they were guiding and welcoming the chosen hero back home... he walked in front of the entrance and let his eyes adjust to the light for a moment. The voice spoke to him once more as he prepared to leave.

Zelda's voice: "Link... You are the light- Our light- that must shine upon Hyrule once again... Now go..."

Link ran on ahead and finally exited the Shine of Resurrection... he walked up to the edge of the hill that the shrine was located on. He looked out and admired the beautiful view of the land Hyrule... The lost hero of light has finally returned home... And the whole world was his to explore. He looked to his right and noticed a lonely old man sitting by a fire along the road to a temple in the far distance.

Link started to explore a bit but in that process, he would walk towards the man sitting by the fire. He also picked up a branch and an apple or two off of a nearby tree branch. He started to eat the apple as he made his way to the stranger. The old man looked up as he noticed Link walking up to him in a rather calm manner.

Old man: "Oho ho! Well met, stranger! It's rather unusual to see another soul in these parts."

Link seemed a bit uncertain at first, but he figured a small conversation with another living being would be a beneficial way to figure out where he was.

Link: "... who are you...?"

Old man: "Me? I'll spare you my life story... I'm just an old fool who has lived here alone... for quite some time now. What brings a bright eyed young man like you to a place like this?"

Link felt as if he didn't have a lot of options in terms idle chatter. He had no clue where he was or why he was even here. He needed some answers, even if it took one step at a time.

Link: "... Where are we exactly?"

Old man: "Answering a question with another question? That is fair enough... As cannot imagine our meeting to be simple coincidence... I shall tell you: This is the Great Plateau. According to legend, this is the birthplace of the entire kingdom of Hyrule..."

The old man stood up slowly, he appeared to be much larger and taller than Link... he outstretched his walking staff, pointing out towards the temple in the distance before speaking again.

Old man: "That temple there in the distance... Long ago it was the site for many scared ceremonies. Ever since the decline of the kingdom about 100 years ago, it has sat there abandoned, in a state of decay."

He looked down a bit disappointed in the situation. He sighed rather softly before relaxing himself, looking back to the "hero" in front of him. The fire next to him was still heavily ablaze and even Link can still feel its heat warming his skin a bit.

Old man: "Yet another forgotten entity. A mere ghost of its former self... I shall be here for some time. Please, let me know if I may be of service..."

He returned to sit by his fire, reclining and taking a baked apple that he had sitting by the fire, cooking over the open flames. Link watched him for a moment longer... he was a little more at ease with the old man, knowing he didn't seem all that bad.

Link: "...could... I ask what you're doing here...?"

The old man gave Link an odd look. As if Link asked him a really dumb question. But the old man didn't seem to mind his curiosity.

Old man: "I am relaxing by the fireside of course... cooking a few baked apples... I would recommend if you find a simple food like an apple, try baking them sometime. They're rather tasty and nutritious... but I'll still be here if you need anything else."

Link gave the man a small nod and he left the old man alone for a while. He ventured out a ways and collected a few weapons and tools left behind on the grounds and made his way towards the temple ever so slightly; still eager to explore though however, he soon hear the woman's voice echoing in his head again. She was faintly telling him to move to a position located on his Sheikah slate map. From the distance he was at, he thought that he was only looking at an odd cliff-side hill or something... however, he made his way towards his destination. On the way, he encountered a few rogue Bokoblins, but even with a loss of memory, Link was still able to dispatch them easily. One of the tools he had found earlier was a woodcutters axe, which helped him out quite handily in combat. After defeating them, he took whatever resources they dropped and even their own weapons. Survival of the fittest right?

Link noticed an odd little formation by this cliff-side he approached. It had a very familiar pedestal in the crevasse of the rock formation... and what appeared to be a roof sticking out of the hill... the pedestal spoke out in its same robotic tone as the ones in the Shrine of Resurrection.

Sheikah A.I.: "Place the Sheikah slate in the pedestal."

Link seemed to look at the pedestal curiously before putting the Sheikah slate into it. The pedestal flipped the slate for a moment and started to read its data. A minor flash of light erupted from it and the eye symbol in the roof above the pedestal turned blue as the pedestal responded.

Sheikah A.I.: "Sheikah Tower activated. Please watch for falling rocks."

The ground shook all around Link and it caused him to fall back. In fact, the whole land of Hyrule was experiencing this earthquake... under Link's feet a large tower sprouted from below the earth and shot up into the sky. Along with it, several other towers erupted from the ground all around Hyrule. With the first activated tower, a bright blue light shot through it and into the sky as well. Link managed to get back up afterwards and he now found himself at the peak of the Great Plateau Tower. The A.I. spoke out once again:

Sheikah A.I.: "Distilling local information..."

From there, a large blue stone located above the pedestal started to glow, forming a bright blue drop of light at the very bottom of its edge. It dropped onto Link's Sheikah slate and his slate in turn started to glow as well.

Sheikah A.I.: "Regional map extracted."

Afterwards, Link took his Sheikah slate back, noticing that the map function had been updated and he could now see where he was located along with everything else around his general area...

He started hearing a faint voice again... and he finally saw where it was coming from... there was a faint light resonating from the large castle in the distance...

Zelda's voice: "Remember... Try to remember... You have been asleep for the past 100 years..."

Link started to approach the edge of the tower to get a better look at the castle and the light that shined in the distance... but the ground shook once more, startling him slightly and a extensive dark aura surrounded the castle... from that darkness, a massive dark creature started to buzz around the castle and its roar could be heard from every edge of the land.

Zelda's voice: "The beast... when the beast regains its true power, this world face meet its end..."

After a moment, the beast started to fade away back into the castle... the dark aura still covered the castle. There was a sense of unease, but the voice talking to him seemed to have a lot of faith in him.

Zelda's voice: "Now then... you must hurry Link, before it's too late."

He stared out to the distance for a moment to think about everything so far... he gulped slightly, finding the courage within himself... he needed figure out what to do next... he thought he might return to the old man... once he got down from the tower... but little did he know, he'd have an unexpected visitor. He heard a muffled clapping behind him and a voice he had never heard before.

?: "Well now... never in my lives would I have ever wagered a place so spectacular... hiding right under our noses... perhaps the Hylians were smart to play their hands with the Sheikah... well done in solving their mystery lad."

Link turned immediately the new voice that was speaking to him. A figure in a long black coat faced him. He had a hood covering his face and he seemed to be applauding Link. In his subconscious reaction, Link took out his current weapon and kept a stern eye on this individual.

?: "Oh come now... coming out of a coma, only gamble your life away again? Certainly not the smartest player... and you're suppose to call yourself a chosen hero? You should save your energy boy. You'll need it in order to handle the fate the cards have given to you..."

Link wasn't sure what he was talking about, but he only seemed to sense that this guy was bad news... he attempted to charge at the hooded individual... but he vanished as soon as he swung his ax towards him. His weapon's blade slammed onto the ground, almost breaking it. The figure reappeared behind Link at a fair distance... He seemed to realize quickly that this guy wasn't normal.

?: "Careful now... you don't have the best hand in the world right now... but I do hope you'll proceed to make things interesting as you venture forward... if you have true courage... perhaps you can change the tide of this world's fate... or perhaps be lost to darkness... I sadly cannot stay to play this little game of yours right now... but before I go, I'll leave you with a little challenge..."

He snapped his fingers once and about five white, wobbling creatures appeared in front of Link out of think air. Their feet and hands looked like large needles almost and they had no eyes or distinguishable faces but they had zipper like mouths...

?: "I hope you'll enjoy this short little game of survival... and perhaps I shall see you again real soon."

He chuckled faintly before teleporting away in a quick void of darkness and the unknown creatures started to attack Link. They would spin and flail erratically, knocking Link around slightly... they weren't entirely scatterbrained like the Bokoblins.. but with all his might Link spun the woodcutters ax as fast and as hard as he could in a circle. Although reckless, his quick thinking paid off. This spin attack actually defeated those strange creatures rather efficiently... but as they were destroyed, Link accidentally broke his ax as well... he was fortunate that he had a few backup weapons in his inventory and he was glad he dispatched them before they caused any significant harm to him.

In his mind he questioned who that hooded guy was... and what those odd looking creatures were. He knew that they weren't good from the start... but he had a feeling in his heart that they weren't... normal. He couldn't shake the feeling that this encounter only spelled out a bad omen for his journey. However, he wasn't going to let that bother him... he had to push onward.

He took a moment to catch his breath and he took out some food from his satchel. He ate for the moment in his breather to regain a bit more of his strength. Afterwards, he prepped himself to leave, and he carefully started his descent. Link made his way down the tower, climbing along its grate-like structure and using platforms that were located on it and eventually made it back to solid ground.

?: "Oho!"

As Link started to walk away from the tower, he heard the voice of the old man approaching him. He was actually gliding towards him with a paraglider, landing a few feet in front of him.

Old man: "My, my... it would seem we have quite the enigma here... This tower and others like it have erupted across the land, one after another. It is almost as though a long-dormant power has awoken suddenly. If you do not mind me asking... did anything odd happen to you while you were atop that tower?"

Link: "... I heard a voice... and I was approached by an unknown person..." His tone was more or less concerned...

Old man: "Well now! A voice, you say? And a person...? Hmm... Did you happen to recognize this mysterious voice? or the person who approached you?"

Link: "..."

Old man: "It seems I have a lot of work to do as far as earning your trust goes... I suppose that's understandable... but I assume you have caught sight of that atrocity shrouding the castle."

Both of them took a moment to look towards the castle again in the distance...

Old man: "That... is **Calamity Ganon**. One hundred years ago, that vile entity brought the kingdom of Hyrule to ruin. It appeared suddenly and destroyed everything in its path... So many innocent lives were lost in its wake. For a century, the very symbol of our kingdom, Hyrule castle, has managed to contain that evil. But just barely. There it festers, slowly building its strength for the moment it will unleash the blight upon the land and once more. It would appear that moment is quickly approaching..."

The old man looked over at Link once more, he seemed to have a curious expression.

Old man: "I must ask you, courageous one... do you intend to make your way to the castle?"

Link only turned to him and nodded as confirmation of his intentions.

Old man: "I had a feeling you might say that... Here on this isolated plateau, we are surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs, with no way down. If you were to try and jump off... well, no death could be more certain... or more foolish... of course if you had a paraglider like mine, that would be quite another story."

Link: "... paraglider?"

The blonde hero looked at him quizzically and seemingly interested. The old man chuckled faintly at his reaction.

Old man: "Oho! Piqued your interest, haven't I? Yes I didn't come soaring down here on my own feathery wings you know! Worry not though... I will happily give you my paraglider... but not for nothing... hmmm let's see... How about I trade it for a bit of treasure that sleeps nearby? ...come, let me show you something."

He led Link over to a nearby cliff. There were a few bodies of water and some broken architecture in the distance. But he pointed towards a glowing orange structure that was nearby.

Old man: "Do you see that structure there? The one shining with a strange light? It began glowing at the exact moment those towers rose up from the ground... I would think that such a place might house some sort of treasure, wouldn't you? The treasure, for the paraglider. A fair exchange, I believe."

Did he really have any choice? Link only gave the old man a slight nod before moving towards it.

From there, Link took time to make his way over to the shrine. On the way, he killed off a small camp of Bokoblins with a bow and some arrows he had found nearby. Even with amnesia... he was an excellent shot, with even the most basic of bows.

After defeating them, he took all of their supplies, weapons, shields, and food and noticed a small chest resting in the center of their camp. Glossing over it for a moment, he opened it and found a travelers sword. He seemed rather satisfied with an appropriate weapon and continued to make his way to the shrine.

He did have to make a quick swim over a decent sized body of water, but climbing up some of the broken structures, he reached the Oman Au Shine. Seeing a familiar pedestal in front of what looks to be a sealed doorway, he examined it and brought his Sheikah slate up to the eye of the pedestal. The pedestal itself reacted, and shined blue. The A.I. responded just like the others.

Sheikah A.I.: "Sheikah slate confirmed... access granted."

The sealed door opened up to him, and what looked like an elevator was inside the doorway... He walked up on top of it and looked at the glowing symbol once more and it started to move downward, as if it were reacting to him. Link soon became lowered into the shrine to start his first trial... he didn't know what to expect but he was determined to conquer the challenges ahead.. for the sake of this world's future.

Outside of the shrine another lone hooded figure stood outside of the shrine's entrance... different than the one Link faced before... only watching from the distance as Link ventured downward... since he had known that the "hero" of this land had finally awakened and started his destined journey in this world... he was curious to see how far he would go.

?: "The gears have started turning here once more... don't disappoint me, 'chosen knight'."

* * *

End of Chapter 2: The Dawn of a New Day

* * *

**Author's Note:**** Hey! Chapter 2 is down and out... and I apologize if it wasn't as eventful as the first, but there is more to come. This chapter was a bit more of a headache than the first, primarily because I started working on the awakening/tutorial portion of Breath of the Wild. And I didn't want to veer too far from the original story at all. So a lot of this chapter is basically the original dialog from the game, aside from a few minor changes here and there. And more or less my own variation of what I believe Link would be doing in his time Hyrule as he first wakes up in this reality.**

**Minor summary:**

**\- Link awakens from his 100 year old slumber.**

**\- He starts to venture out into the wild after leaving the Shrine of Resurrection, encountering the old man to understand where he is.**

**\- He finds his way to the hidden Sheikah tower, from the assistance of Zelda's voice.**

**\- After starting to realize what his destiny might be... he has a very short encounter with an Organization member for the first time. Once the unknown individual leaves him with a minor ambush of Nobodies, Link manages to fend off the strange new enemies. **

**\- Link ventures down from the tower, unsure of what he should do next... he wants to return to the old man for more answers, but to his surprise the old man finds him first. He discusses with Link about what happened recently, the towers, the voice, and the hooded figure. **

**\- The old man suggests Link could use his paraglider to get down from the Isolated Plateau... if he ventured into a nearby Shrine to retrieve the "treasure" that's inside it. "A fair trade".**

**\- Link ventured to the Shrine as suggested to him and lowers himself into his first trial... while another lone figure stands nearby the entrance keeping an eye on Link from the shadows. (oooo~ Foreshadowing/cliffhanger~)**

**Hope you all enjoyed! Again I want to thank hyrulequeen for the encouragement and support for this story. I also wanna thank you all for reading as well. I have seen a few favorites and follows and that's very much appreciated. ^^ I hope I'll be able to get more of this story out as I find more free time to work on it. **

**Until next time!**

* * *

_Next chapter: Conflicting Perceptions_


	3. Conflicting Perceptions

**Author's Note: Minor blood warning later down the chapter. P.S. this is also one of my longest chapters so far. (Excluding both Author's Notes... 8542 words. Beating my previous longest chapter by exactly 100 words.) Anyway, enjoy~**

* * *

"_The heart has always been quick to grow; Each exposure to light, to the natural world, to other people, shapes this most malleable part inside of us... Nobodies are not different from us in that manner..._"

\- Ansem the Wise (Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance)

* * *

Chapter 3: Conflicting Perceptions

* * *

Returning to 100 years in the past, the evening appeared to run by rather quickly. Even in sleep, dawn quickly returned over the horizon... but even a quick return of morning did not change the loud, yet distant roaring of Calamity Ganon in the distance. The spirit of pure malice doesn't appear to be capable of sleeping apparently. Most of the Hylians and Sheikah managed to sleep for the majority of the evening. Some soldiers and villagers however, had to take a few night watches to make sure no monsters would attempt to attack the sleeping village.

With everyone waking up in sheer doubt and uncertainty, there seemed to be a large amount of dread floating around the community... Zelda awoke frantically from a minor nightmare, but mainly in response to the distant roar of Ganon... She was still a bit shaken up by the recent events and she was uncertain how far she would be able to go... she was aware she needed to face Calamity Ganon... she needed to seal him away in Hyrule Castle in order to give Link time to recover... but she needed to return the Master sword back to its origins, the Lost Woods. When Link should awaken, he'll know where to find it. Or at least that's what her initial thought process was. If anything, she would have to use all of her power to make sure everything proceed according to the prophecy. She even considered directing Link when he awoke... but with Impa and Purah still gone and away from their homestead in this moment, Zelda didn't feel all too confident going to the Lost Woods alone in this task and she felt there was really only one other person left to ask...

She thought about what to say to Joxhaus as she dressed herself that morning... Most of her clothes were still in tatters after the recent battle to escape the community of Hyrule from the onslaught of Calamity Ganon and the possessed guardians... but she still managed regardless and left her suite to find many of her remaining soldiers as well as some of the villagers slowly starting to arise for the morning. In her perspective, everyone seemed to be struggling... she made her way to the cabin she paid for Joxhaus' stay. She walked inside and proceeded to Joxhaus' room, knocking on his door gently, but just hard enough to be heard.

Zelda: "Joxhaus...? Good morning. I hope you're awake. I wish to speak to you about a few things this morning if it's accepta-"

She opened the door to his room and found he wasn't there. There were a few odds and ends laying around in the room. Visible proof that he was there, but no Joxhaus.

Zelda: "Huh...? Where did he go...?"

The caretaker of the building came up behind her.

Sheikah caretaker: "Your highness, the stranger you paid for went outside before dawn. He left a note on my desk saying he would be outside for a short time. I think he took a walk around the village."

Zelda: "Oh... thank you. I'll go look for him."

The caretaker smiled and went away to tend to her business, but before Zelda left his room, she found a book on his bed with an odd looking switch lock sealing its pages. She picked it up and unlocked it, taking a moment to read what this "book" was about. She walked out of his room and out into the village with it... she noticed a lot of the pages in the book she had found had unique drawings of different creatures she had never seen before. Most of them lined with small minor details and descriptions... or notes perhaps. There were odd black creatures called "Heartless", with longer, detailed descriptions and variations of them and the next set of pages listed "Nobodies" and the next few pages after that were on "Dream Eaters" and "Unversed". Towards the end of the book were notes and small sketches on the monsters of her world. Mainly Bokoblins and such for now... she seemed a bit fascinated that someone else had an interest in knowledge like herself.

After a moment of walking around the village, she finally found her new companion sitting next to a tree up on a hillside. She walked up to him, holding his book with both hands. He was sitting back, looking rather relaxed and from a distance he looked like he was sleeping. However, he had already sensed her coming up to him.

Zelda: "Joxhaus?"

Joxhaus: "Hmm...?"

Zelda: "You seem to be up rather early, or at least according to the locals."

Joxhaus: "Oh... yes... I do sometimes go out to mediate in the mornings... especially if I have difficulty sleeping."

Zelda: "I think we've all been having difficulty sleeping... but I'm here to ask a favor of you... again."

Joxhaus: "Before you do, may I ask why you have my visual journal?"

He opened his eyes and turned his head to look up at her. His eyes seemed a bit lifeless at this moment in time... it was even rather concerning for Zelda, but she decided to sit down next to him and handed him his book back.

Zelda: "Did you make the drawings in here? You have a very wonderful talent... and I picked it up when I went to check on you. I was... curious to know what kind of literature you read. But come to find out, you seem very knowledgeable, especially with these different creatures... and it fascinates me."

Joxhaus: "I see... you're interested in the kinds of creatures I have come across? Or just the knowledge I may have in general?"

Zelda seemed very faintly flustered at the idea. Although, Joxhaus appeared to be reading her like book. Her eyes darted away from him and she was a little fidgety for a moment.

Zelda: "Well... both actually... ah.. b-before I get carried away... the favor I wish to ask is... could you accompany with me to the Lost Woods...? Since Impa and her sister Purah haven't returned yet... I would be a bit more comfortable if you would join me. It should be a fairly simple and short journey."

The Nobody was a little quiet for a moment, but he responded reasonably to her question.

Joxhaus: "I suppose I could... but what do we have to do in such an oddly named place?"

Zelda pulled out her Sheikah slate and scooted closer to him to show him where they would be going. It seemed to be a gigantic forest in the North-east corner of Hyrule, located on an island. After showing him where they would be going, she pulled around a sheathe that she had on her back.

Zelda: "I would like to return the weapon of evil's bane, the Master Sword, back to its place of origin."

Joxhaus: "That was Link's primary weapon against Ganon and his forces, right? May I ask how he managed to fall, if he carried the true weapon of 'evil's bane'?"

She gave him a minor glare, puffing her cheeks slightly at him. She wasn't sure if he was insulting Link by being sarcastic or being genuine in his question.

Zelda: "No one is perfect... in our case, we weren't prepared for Ganon's second assault... We defeated him once before with our Champions, Link and the Divine Beasts... but even that wasn't enough to completely finish him off. When he attacked a second time, we suffered the consequences. My father was lost in the uprising... and with Calamity Ganon returning with vengeance and possessing the Divine Beasts, our Champions perished... soon after."

Joxhaus: "So... even a 'hero' can't be perfect... You were lucky that you and your knight managed to make it out of ground zero... even though Link had to suffer the consequences to protect you."

Zelda: "Yes... I owe him my life in that regard, but he took an oath to protect me through this, but according to Hylian prophecy, Link and I are the only ones who can permanently destroy Ganon... we both have to survive in order to build a new future for our people... I also have you to thank for my survival... So, will you join me once more Joxhaus?"

Joxhaus: "... I don't see why not... but how do you suggest we get there? I mean... I have my own personal ways to move long distances... but do you have a way to get us there?"

Zelda: "In fact, I do. When you're ready, we'll go, alright?"

Joxhaus: "Very well... Let me return to my temporary room real quick to collect my things."

He started to get up and Zelda followed suit with him and the two of them walked back down off the hilltop and returned to the cabin. Joxhaus took only a moment to collect his remaining belongings from his room. As he left, he sincerely thanked the Sheikah caretaker for her services before departing back outside.

Zelda was waiting for him patiently and as he walked up behind her, he appeared to be ready to go. She turned to him with a smile and as she looked back through the Sheikah slate map, preparing to go the Lost Woods, they were stopped by familiar faces.

Impa: "Your Highness!"

Purah: "Princess Zelda!"

The princess and the Nobody turned to see the returning leaders of the Sheikah village approach them from their journey. Zelda seemed happy to see that they returned safely. Joxhaus had no emotion in his expression at the moment. He only watched.

Zelda: "Impa! Purah! You have returned!"

Impa: "Yes your Highness and we have news to report... wait... are you heading off somewhere?"

Zelda: "Yes... I must return the Master Sword back to the Lost Woods, before I return to seal Ganon away. Joxhaus has agreed to join me in returning it."

Impa: "Lost Woods? I will join you as wel-"

Purah: "-Hey! Before we get too carried away, let me say what I need to say... _Ahem_... Link was successfully placed in the Shrine of Resurrection and he will awaken when he's fully restored... but he was in critical condition... so there may be side effects when he wakes up. Also, we had an encounter with some strange creatures after we completed our mission."

Zelda: "Strange..? How so?"

Purah: "They looked like big black bugs! And they could flatten into the ground, moving around like shadows! They killed off a few of the bokoblin camps... but soon after they tried to attack us."

Joxhaus: "Heartless..."

All three of the ladies looked over to him a bit surprised he responded in their conversation.

Impa: "You know these black creatures, stranger?"

Joxhaus: "Yes... they are called 'Heartless'. They devour the hearts of people and other creatures who have been corrupted by darkness. They'll attack anything that isn't one of their own... the ones you probably encountered were probably...-"

Zelda: "-Shadows?"

Joxhaus looked at the princess rather dumbfounded and surprised. She giggled very faintly but kept her serious demeanor around Impa and Purah.

Zelda: "It was one of the first creatures I saw in your visual journal."

Impa: "Shadows... these things will become a serious problem at night... they'll be even more difficult to spot in the dark."

Purah: "So, if we're all done here, I'm going to go work on an experiment to see if we can handle this new little threat. I mean, regular weapons seem to kill them just fine, but if I can find anything else about them I'll let you know. Bye!"

With that she darted off back to her home on one of the higher hills to start her experiments and Impa sighed heavily. Slightly annoyed at her sister's choices.

Impa: "As I said... if you two are heading to the Lost Woods. I will... try to catch up with both of you there... I have a few things to tend to, since Purah's off in her own little world again..."

The Sheikah leader walked up in front of Joxhaus for a moment, staring into his cold, half-dead eyes for a moment. She had a serious fire burning in her eyes.

Impa: "Our princess seems to trust you stranger... but my threat from earlier still stands. Protect her with your life or I swear you won't get far from me."

Zelda: "Impa... Joxhaus can be trusted... sure, he's a little odd but... he's proven himself to me. Please give him a little faith."

Impa hesitated for a moment, but eventually backed off. She believed the princess' words but was still unsure of the Nobody. Her glare slowly faded but she still kept a serious demeanor.

Impa: "I... apologize Joxhaus. After all our kingdom has been through thus far... none of us can never be too careful... and Zelda is the key to Ganon's destruction, as well as Link. We need them to survive, for all of us to survive."

Joxhaus: "No need to apologize, I am well aware of your concerns. So, do not carry doubt. She will be kept safe."

Impa: "Good to hear... now I must be off for a little bit. I will see you two later... good day your highness, Joxhaus."

She walked away from them and toward her home in the middle of the village. Zelda sighed softly and lowered her shoulders. She seemed rather tense around Impa and she started to relax again.

Zelda: "I'm sorry she's so... intense like that... my family has personally instructed her to be a backup guardian for me if anything should ever happen to the Champions or Link."

Joxhaus: "She's just doing her duty. There is nothing wrong with her actions... my only concern is her preconceived judgments of me."

Zelda: "I apologize on her behalf... I can understand where she's coming from though."

Joxhaus: "So can I... anyway... Shall we be off?"

Zelda: "Yes, let's get this sword back home."

She walked up to the Nobody and held his arm for a moment as she played around with her Sheikah slate again. With a quick blue flash, he felt a blue light envelope both of them and they were being transported by the Sheikah technology. Their bodies dissipated like several strings of blue light into the sky and within a few seconds their bodies reconstructed in front of a small shrine located on the island. Joxhaus shook his head feeling a tad light headed. Zelda spoke up after the light faded from them.

Zelda: "Well... welcome to the Keo Ruug Shine located within the Lost Woods. ... oh... Are you alright?"

Joxhaus: "Yes... just a little light headed... let us get going."

Zelda looked at him a little worried for his physical health but trusting in his words, she placed her Sheikah slate back on her waist and she started to lead them from the shine and into the woods. There were a few bokoblins and a few other enemies in the surrounding area but Joxhaus quickly dispatched them without having too much concern. Bladed wires broke under beneath each of the enemies, constricting and tearing them apart or lashing at them viciously. They didn't have much issues with enemies as they traveled through the foggy woods. And only Zelda knew the correct path to get to the Master Sword's resting place.

Zelda: "So, can I ask you a few questions as we carry on?"

Joxhaus' expression was originally emotionless but it changed to one of innocent curiosity.

Joxhaus: "Yes? You may."

The princess smiled softly to herself and started thinking to herself about an appropriate question.

Zelda: "When you were originally with this 'Organization', what did you do when you were there? If it's appropriate to ask."

The Nobody looked on forward and sighed gently. Thinking about to those times as a member for the Organization.

Joxhaus: "I was a secret project in the Organization for a long time, but when I was indoctrinated as a member, my tasks were usually fairly simple. Recon different worlds as instructed or destroy Heartless or enemies in certain worlds. And in some rare instances, I was also tasked as a backup assassin..."

Zelda: "A-an... assassin?"

Her voice was a little shaky since she was a bit surprised by what kind of work he did as a past member for the Organization... but at the same time, she wasn't completely surprised especially from yesterday's events. Seeing how he completely annihilated Ganon's army without even trying... it proves that he's probably strong enough to take on a role of an assassin.

Joxhaus: "Yes... so don't worry you're in good hands. I won't let anyone touch you without them getting torn to shreds."

He had an odd little smirk on his face after that comment and they kept on walking through the woods. The Nobody was a little uncertain by the unsettling atmosphere of the Lost Woods but it didn't completely bother him either. Zelda herself always felt uneasy in the Lost Woods but she felt a bit better with him around oddly enough.

Joxhaus: "So, can I ask you something...?"

Zelda: "Yes you may."

Joxhaus: "Why do we have to return the Master Sword here? And not send it with Link as he rests?"

Zelda: "Well... I cannot risk the Master Sword falling into the wrong hands. And if Ganon's forces got a hold of the Master Sword... and Link in the same place... I fear the worst for him... and worse yet... I doubt we would stand a chance against Ganon and all would be lost... So, I would rather keep the Master Sword safe in the grounds of its origin. And when Link is ready to take up the Master Sword again, he will have to be tested by the Master Sword... so he can handle it once more."

Joxhaus: "I see... sounds reasonable."

He smirked and thought about what kind of magic would be behind the Master Sword... but figured he did not wish to test it for himself.

Zelda: "So... That weapon you carry... I've never seen anything like it before."

Joxhaus looked down at his whip sword. It was currently stationary in its normal sword form. He held it up for her to see a bit better. He changed its form and the blades fell from gravity, being held together by a retractable wire mechanism. He swung it around once and retracted it back into a normal sword. It had an odd glow and it shined ever so slightly in the sunlight.

Joxhaus: "In some cultures, it's referred to as a 'snake sword', but its mainly called a 'whip sword'... well, for obvious reasons... but, I can control it with my own powers... and in some cases it can act on its own to protect me... It's not always consistent, but it can react as quickly as I can."

Zelda looked at his weapon and gulped faintly. In her mind, it seemed like an extremely rare choice for a weapon and she could only imagine how brutally his sword could injure an individual... aside from how he could easily break apart an army monsters already with ease.

Zelda: "It... seems fascinating... what other powers do you have...? if its okay to ask."

He looked at her for a moment and tilted his head a bit curiously.

Joxhaus: "You seem rather curious about me, aren't you? ... why is that?"

Zelda: "W-well... I just wish to understand you more... is... that a bad thing?"

Joxhaus: "... well... of course not. Understanding and gaining knowledge is usually a good thing."

Zelda: "I'm glad you understand..."

Joxhaus: "If you must know... as you've seen from yesterday, I can summon bladed wires from the ground. They're specifically known as 'urumi' but... details, details... I can probably move faster than your kind here... and not trying to gloat... but I'm probably a bit stronger as well... I can also see someone's past memories temporarily through first time touch."

Zelda: "You're certainly are full of surprises."

She gave him an endearing bright smile, seemingly a bit impressed.

Joxhaus: "I can also see dreams in the same way, but I would have to focus more to access that. And my most noteworthy abilities... I can withstand some fatal injuries... and I can manipulate reality itself, however I see fit."

Zelda quizzically tilted her head. She wasn't entirely sure by what he meant by manipulating reality.

Zelda: "What does that mean exactly?"

Joxhaus: "I can... well, to put it as simply as I can, I can manipulate space and time just enough to alter how the world works around us. I can't do that very often because breaking the laws of space and time... well they have horrific consequences.. mainly for me."

Zelda: "That is rather fascinating... I am supposed to be our Goddess Hylia's incarnate... having the powers of her light to seal and banish the calamity away but... so far I have not shown any true potential or powers passed down by my ancestors... I'm still afraid of failing my people."

Both of them stopped walking for a moment and Joxhaus looked at her momentarily. His expression seemed concerned for her.

Joxhaus: "They're sleeping..."

Zelda: "Huh..?"

Joxhaus: "Your powers and true potential. I can feel a greater power of light sleeps within your heart. You are her incarnate, but I understand your frustrations.. be patient with yourself Zelda... you might even surprise yourself."

His tone seemed rather sincere yet playful towards the end. He gave her a hopeful smile; his encouragement gave her enough strength to believe in herself. She smiled back to him and nodded.

Zelda: "Thank you... and let's continue... we're almost there."

They continued their journey through the woods, but the air became a little thicker the further in they went into the Lost Woods. A hazy fog was obscuring most of their view, aside from the occasional trees. The two walked a little closer to each other, for their own safety and they eventually came across to something that looked like a clearing in the woods. There appeared to be a large circular stone slab in the center of the clearing. In the center of the slab, was a triangular carved rock that appeared to have a slit in the center of the stone. The Master Sword's original home.

Joxhaus: "This place seems... like it's radiating an odd energy..."

Zelda: "This place was blessed by Goddess Hylia herself so that the Master Sword's energy can stay refined and conserved appropriately."

Zelda took a few steps towards the center. She took the Master Sword out of its scabbard and lined it up with the slit in the rock before pushing it down into the stone as far as she could with her own strength. A light shined from underneath the sword and it appeared to radiate as it locked the sword itself in place. Zelda herself took a step back and knelt down for a moment to pray to goddess Hylia. Her Nobody guardian stood quietly nearby, looking around the environment... he could sense something familiar in the distance... that much was exceptionally concerning for him.

Joxhaus: "It could be just the power of these woods..."

He muttered softly to himself, and he shook his head almost aggressively. He was feeling a bit more tense as a mild breeze blew through the clearing. Rustling a few trees... the unnatural quiet was unsettling to him.

Soon after Zelda stood back up and turned towards him, walking back to him. She could see he was a bit tense... as if he had sensed something. She gently pressed her hand against the Nobody's shoulder.

Zelda: "Joxhaus...? Are you okay? What's wrong...?"

Joxhaus: "We should probably leave soon... something's not right here."

Out of an odd instinct, he took hold of the princess' hand and started to lead her out of the grove. She stopped him for a moment.

Zelda: "W-we don't have to return back to the shrine. We can just teleport ourselves back to the village."

In that moment, a gust of wind picked up and blew threw the forest and the atmosphere seemed tense. Joxhaus noticed that something was blowing in the wind aside from the few tree leaves... cherry blossom petals.

Joxhaus: "I don't think we're alone however..."

A faint humming noise could be heard in the forest, but with the fog, the view was obstructed. Joxhaus stayed on guard and Zelda pressed up against him... she pulled up a bow she had carried with her and a few arrows, ready for anything. The Nobody sighed, being a bit concerned about their current situation. Two gray figures flew out of the patches of forest. Based on their movement, they almost seemed like jellyfish or flowers flying up into the air. The pods kept spinning, opening up they became two Reaper Nobodies, spinning out medium sized, pink scythes. Zelda seemed rather shocked seeing these creatures she had never seen before, however they carried the same symbol that Joxhaus had on his sword on their heads. The symbol of Nobodies.

Joxhaus: "Wonderful..."

Zelda: "W-what..? What are those things..?"

Joxhaus: "Reapers..."

The two Reapers spun towards the duo; Joxhaus raised his free hand, balling his hand into a fist and fifty bladed wires spring from the ground to protect them from their attack. A very faint shock-wave could be felt from the impact of the blocked attacked.

Both Reapers flinched, and were sent backwards by the retaliation of the bladed wires lashing back at them in self-defense. Joxhaus pushed on Zelda's shoulders, his eyes looking back at her.

Joxhaus: "Duck for a moment please..."

Zelda didn't even hesitate and did as she was instructed. Joxhaus spun once to build a quick momentum to strike back. He lashed his sword into it's whip form, reaching out and lashing at both Reapers twice.

The Nobodies retracted because of the attack. In their defense, they both raised their flower-like appendages over their bodies as a defense mechanism to protect them from any more slashes.

Joxhaus: "Zelda... do you have any fire arrows with you?"

Zelda: "Only a few..."

Joxhaus: "Alright... ready yourself to fire some of those few."

She nodded and prepped the few fire arrows she brought with her. Joxhaus on the other hand, retracted his whip sword again, before shooting it through one of the Reapers at a quick speed. The blade extended on its wire far enough to be sent past and through the Nobody's nearly hallow body, shredding its thin flesh. When the blade and wire exited its body, the whip sword wrapped its end around the Reaper. Joxhaus then used his own strength to spin the Reaper in a large circle at an incredible speed, knocking the other Reaper down to the ground, stunning it for a moment. With the momentum building and the speed increasing, the whip sword started extending gradually with the speed. Slamming the Reaper into several nearby trees and rocks, nearly tearing apart the environment around the duo. But with one quick reflex, Joxhaus swung the Reaper straight into the ground, destroying the first Reaper, but causing yet another unsettling shock-wave.

Joxhaus retracted his snake sword back into a normal sword form. At that time, the second Reaper started to spin itself back up into the air. While Zelda was still crouched, she peeked from behind Joxhaus and took aim at the Nobody with her bow and fire arrows at the ready, but the Reaper's erratic movements made it difficult for her to make a clear shot.

Joxhaus focused for only a few seconds to catch his breath, but in that same moment one of his hidden abilities started to work its magic. In his eyes, everything became inverted in color, and time slowed down. In his thoughts, he created three special trip wires in a secret pocket plane of reality. For the moment, they didn't exist, but as the Reaper swung its scythe and attempted to charge towards them, three loud snaps could be heard as the black wires broke from the hidden reality into their current one, wrapping up and snagging the Nobody. Binding, suspending and holding it in place in the air.

Zelda saw her newfound opportunity and shot three fire arrows at it in succession. The last Reaper squirmed in pain as its flesh was punctured and set ablaze, and with Joxhaus' bindings squeezing it tightly as well, the Reaper dissipated quickly and the wires that Joxhaus created flashed out of existence.

Joxhaus and Zelda both were breathing a bit heavier, still a little unnerved from what happened. Joxhaus turned to the princess and held his hand out to her, offering to help her up. She gratefully took his hand and sighed gently still holding her bow in hand.

Zelda: "T-those things..."

Joxhaus: "Those were called 'Reapers'... tactful, cunning, rather dangerous to be around. They normally exterminate targets in groups of three with a deadly yet elegant form... They can camouflage themselves perfectly in forested environment."

Zelda: "Those things... the Reapers... they appeared... disturbing."

?: "Disturbing? Or the unrealized beauty of darkness?"

A slightly sinister voice called out. Zelda almost jumped hearing it, but apparently they were being watched. Joxhaus figured a member from the Organization might be scouting out the area... or sent to watch Zelda... or to kill him. It was too soon to make any assumptions.

Joxhaus: "... figures... I wondered why there were only two Reapers. Show yourself."

After being called out, a void of darkness appeared in their way. When the shadows dissipated, a man with a long black coat similar to Joxhaus' stood before the duo. His hair was a rose pink color that rested at shoulder length. The smile on his face was less than inviting. Both Joxhaus and Zelda remained on guard, however Zelda herself seemed a little more scared seeing an Organization member for the first time. She didn't know what to expect.

?: "I never would have believed that fate would allow me to finally cross paths with you, Joxhaus... as well as the fated princess of light."

Joxhaus: "Number eleven... Marluxia... What do you want...?"

Marluxia: "I find it hard to believe that our second in command put up so much time and dedication with training a soon to be traitor... You could have made an excellent vessel. But instead you wanted to forge your own path."

Joxhaus: "What's it matter to you? You don't know _anything_ about me."

Marluxia: "I did hear rumors of you before I was sent out long ago. You were quite the phenomenon, surviving death only to be reconstructed under the wings of Organization XIII as one of the few pet projects. Now.. trying to protect a timeline and world order. You are no hero protecting the maiden of light Joxhaus... You shouldn't be getting in the way of our plans if you don't wish to be destroyed."

Zelda was only watching and quietly listening to the exchange between the two. She was too nervous to speak, almost fearful that something bad might happen if she even tried to say something. The air was rather tense with a low gentle breeze.

Joxhaus: "This will still be _my_ choice and even _you_ can't change that."

The Graceful Assassin started to get annoyed with Joxhaus' attitude towards him. He figured outwitting him with deception wouldn't be so easy with him. But he figured out a possible alternative... redirection to another target.

Marluxia: "We do not seek to destroy the light, let alone harm it. We only seek to complete it. In a world filled with light, darkness must there to equal out. Otherwise, chaos will break out. Let the princess of this world's goddess achieve her goals for herself. With you being here... you risk negative consequences for interfering... and worse yet, you may alter her fate, for better... or for worse."

Joxhaus looked down for a moment, thinking about all he had said so far... it was true. He was never really considered a 'hero', and in his first life he saw himself as 'disgusting' for making one of his worst life changing decisions. And playing the 'hero' part in this world wasn't going to reward him... or at least that's what he thought. He knew for certain he would pay the price once his mission was complete... but in that moment he cast that thought aside. He did make a promise to Zelda, and he wasn't going to break it anytime soon.

In Zelda's mind, she too started to think about Marluxia had said. She started to question herself and her choices she's made thus far, since her war started... not only with Calamity Ganon but with herself. Along with that more concerns and doubts were planted into her mind and heart... which is exactly what Marluxia wanted. The duo both carried an expression of deep thought; Joxhaus didn't keep that expression for very long. He kept his focus' on the Graceful Assassin, knowing he was trying to get in their heads. He wanted to fight him personally, but not with Zelda being an open target for him. For now Joxhaus stayed on the defensive. He secretly started planting a few trip wires just to be safe.

Joxhaus: "... sounds like you haven't changed one bit. Do you honestly think I have the heart to believe your deception? Regardless of how much light and darkness there is in a world, or a reality; life and fate will usually find a way to balance it out naturally."

Marluxia: "Then answer me this: Why are you here?"

Joxhaus: "... to make sure you and the Organization doesn't disrupt or alter this world's reality or timeline."

Marluxia: "Then _you_ will be just as responsible for this world's demise."

He raised his arm up for a moment and a single glowing cherry blossom petal fell from the sky and landed in the palm of his hand. Soon after the single petal flashed and transformed into Marluxia's large signature scythe, the Graceful Dahlia. He swung it down once and dozens of cherry blossom petals floated around him for a moment. Joxhaus remained on guard and held one arm out to make sure Zelda would stay behind him.

Marluxia: "Let's see how long you'll keep up your facade..."

He had a sinister smirk form on his face before rotating his body once, to swing his scythe downward. Sending a large energy blast toward Joxhaus. This action, broke all three of his trip wire traps. Joxhaus, out of instinct, pushed Zelda away just enough so she would be safe. He brought his sword up to guard at the last possible second. He managed to block it, but his block broke, knocking him back several yards. Thankfully, he landed on his feet but he was staggered from the hit.

Zelda: "Joxhaus!"

Joxhaus shook off the hit and as he stood back up, sword in hand, Marluxia had already stepped closer to him, pointing his scythe at him. Keeping a threatening, egotistical stance. Joxhaus regained his focus on fighting Marluxia, since Zelda wouldn't risk getting hurt. He was ready for a proper fight this time.

Marluxia: "Your ideals of 'honor' have made you weak."

That comment alone started to piss off Joxhaus. In his anger, his eyes shifted to gray and the markings in his face became swelled, making the veins around his eyes black. Marluxia swung at him again horizontally, but this time Joxhaus jumped above him and started to lash downwards twice at him with his sword in its whip form, before drop kicking him in the chest with both feet. This only staggered Marluxia, reeling him a distance backwards for a moment, while Joxhaus flipped back into a fighting stance.

In his past experiences with weapons training, scythes were only good at a proper and exact distance, which was normally close range. Joxhaus realized that Marluxia would only be able to hit him if he either closed the distance between them or used more successful "ranged" attacks. The Graceful Assassin threw his scythe aggressively at Joxhaus and vanished soon after. Joxhaus dodged the spinning scythe fairly easily, but sensed it started flying back towards him with aggressive homing. He got sliced on his side trying to dodge the second time, because the angle of the ongoing attack caught him off guard. He started to use his powers to bend reality just enough, so he would undoubtedly dodge Marluxia's remaining attacks. His scythe decapitated more trees and wildlife in the area and started turning the Lost Woods into a war zone. Soon after the last attack, Marluxia returned to the field catching his scythe.

Zelda was watching from the sidelines, still keeping herself safe from the fighting, but she felt like she needed to do something besides sit there. She felt it wouldn't be the best choice, but she prepped her bow and extra arrows while also thinking about the best plan of action.

Joxhaus shot his sword in its whip form, trying to stab at Marluxia several yards away, keeping him just far enough out of reach of his scythe. Closing the distance, the Graceful Assassin jumped towards him and swung at Joxhaus once more. His whip sword redirected itself quickly on its own and blocked the full force of his swing. Protecting its master as sparks started to fly off their weapons. After the block, the whip sword wrapped around Marluxia's right arm, allowing Joxhaus to throw him down to the ground and restraining him temporarily. Marluxia growled lowly at the circumstances.

Marluxia: "Hmm... this is absurd..."

He turned his head quickly towards the princess, seeing she had just shot an ice arrow towards him. He quickly vanished, leaving a few petals behind. Joxhaus' whip sword fell to the ground from gravity, before retracting back into its normal sword form. Marluxia reappeared a distance away and he cast his scythe away. Fixing his hair for a moment, looking at the duo.

Joxhaus: "Calling it quits already...?"

Marluxia: "I have already overstayed my welcome for the time being... I only wished to test you for a moment to get a feel for your potential... You have promise."

Joxhaus: "Like I asked for your opinion... but I will accept the compliment I suppose."

Marluxia: "Hmph... just don't let it get to your head... I shall take my leave... I hope your decisions to come, will give you the fate that you desire..."

The Graceful Assassin chuckled faintly and walked away from them into a Corridor of Darkness that had appeared behind him. As he disappeared from sight and the Corridor closed, the two found themselves being a bit more quiet. Zelda made her way up to him and the two looked at themselves quietly. Zelda gently touched a few burnt spots, some small cuts and bruises on his face and sleeves. She finally noticed his changed eye color and swelling markings in his face.

Zelda: "J-Joxhaus... A-are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Joxhaus himself didn't really feel any immediate pain but he closed his eyes for a moment, slowing down his breathing. He cast his weapon away and was calming down a bit. The markings in his face returned to normal and his eyes shifted back to normal as well when he opened them. Once he was calm, now he could start feeling the pain. He instinctively held his side that was in the most pain.

Joxhaus: "I'm... fine. Thanks for asking."

Zelda: "... No, you're not fine. You're bleeding! Please sit down, I need to patch you up."

She had noticed the gash in his side was his only major injury. Oddly enough he turned away from her and started to walk away.

Joxhaus: "I appreciate it... but I'll be fine... I promise, oka-?! AAH!"

Unexpectedly, Zelda grabbed him from behind by the arm and shoulder and moved him to a nearby tree, forcing him to sit down.

Zelda: "Why are you being so stubborn!? I will not tolerate any retaliation Joxhaus..."

Joxhaus noticed her voice was rather shaky when she spoke. To him, she sounded angry, but he could tell she seemed a bit more upset rather than angry... maybe a hint of worry? His external expression seemed sad, or perhaps a hint of disappointment, mainly with himself. Overthinking was one of his downfalls aside from assuming attack patterns. He figured the wound wouldn't be a big issue, since he had a modest healing factor, so the wound would probably be closed by the beginning of tomorrow morning.

Zelda pressed a cloth she had on hand against the open wound, applying pressure. It only took a couple seconds for it to be bloodstained. Joxhaus decided to just accept what she was trying to do.

Zelda: "Hold the cloth to against your side and keep pressure on it... oh Hylia... where did I put it? ... I'm not prepared for this..."

She muttered the last part to herself as she was scrambling through her bag of supplies, pulling out a few more bandage cloths and some minor first aid equipment. Joxhaus did as she asked and applied pressure to the wound, breathing a bit slower to make things a little easier for both of them. Zelda soon found a minor stitching kit and scooted closer on her knees up to him.

Zelda: "I hope you don't mind... I'm going to have to stitch up your wound. It won't be perfect, but it'll be better than nothing."

Joxhaus: "... well... alright. Do whatever you feel is necessary."

Zelda: "You're going to have to take this off though..."

She was obviously referring to his coat. Joxhaus rarely took it off, but if she felt it was necessary to help him, he did what she asked. He struggled slightly to get his coat off from how he was seated, but he managed. He wore a black under-armor underneath his coat, and it was stuck to his skin from the blood. Joxhaus knew this was just going to be a mess regardless so he looked up to her for a moment.

Joxhaus: "Could you pass me more of the bandage cloths?"

Zelda: "Yes..."

She leaned over and brought the bandage cloth closer and handed it to him. He took it in hand, prepping himself for what was going to happen next. He laid on his side to make the first aid process easier for her.

Joxhaus: "Thanks.."

Zelda nodded in response, she was still waiting to get to the wound. Joxhaus sighed gently; having to suck it up, he quickly ripped the under-armor up off of his wound, making it a little worse than it originally was. He was focused enough to force his mouth shut, so when the surge of pain rolled through from his sudden action he would utter a loud but muffled groan. His reckless action startled Zelda, almost scaring her, but she immediately started to tend to the wound. First, applying rubbing alcohol before wiping down the blood stained wound with one of the spare cloths. This caused another muffled groan from Joxhaus, but he endured it, soon applying his own cloth in hand against the wound after she cleaned it up, applying pressure appropriately. Zelda wiped her hands off and got the sewing kit ready.

Zelda: "Okay... You're going to have to move your hand..."

The Nobody sighed and nodded, sucking up the pain and prepped himself for the last part. He moved his hand and Zelda then took the next several minutes stitching him up. They both did a good job closing up the wound, it made the stitching process a lot easier. He still squirmed a bit because he wasn't used to this... that and he hated needles.

Zelda: "P-Please stop moving! I'm almost done..."

Joxhaus: "..."

He still kept his mouth shut as she continued, still lowly groaning where the pain was applied. She soon finished and sighed herself, admiring her successful work.

Zelda: "It's not perfect, but that should do nicely..."

Joxhaus soon slowly moved himself to sit up. Zelda took a hold of his arm in an attempt to help him up. He breathed heavily yet slowly. The pain was starting to subside.

Joxhaus: "Thanks..."

Zelda: "There's one more thing I must do before you get up. Now hold still."

He was rather surprised by serious and dedicated she was about this. She took the remaining cloth and wrapped it around his side, just to be safe. It would catch any possible blood spills. She carefully pulled his under-armor back down over the cloth, before leaning back away from him.

Zelda: "There... that should be sufficient, at least until we get back to a society... Please promise me you won't be reckless like that again."

She was looking into his eyes for a moment. He could tell she had a genuine sense of worry for him. He nodded slowly and sighed before responding.

Joxhaus: "I promise... I'll be a little more cautious. But in my defense, that fight was not exactly what I was expecting..."

Zelda: "I could tell... and... I understand now... why you wanted to warn me about them... you were telling the truth."

Joxhaus: "You didn't believe me before...?"

Zelda: "W-well... n-no... I-... I mean... I carried... some doubt in the back of my mind... but it was wrong of me to make false judgments against you... I-... please forgive me."

Joxhaus remained silent for a moment. He could sense she was telling the truth and that she felt bad about it.

Joxhaus: "No need to apologize Zelda. I do understand why you might have thought that. We Nobodies aren't fully accepted among most societies because of how deceptive and mistrusting we are perceived as."

He started getting his coat back on, Zelda tilted her head a bit in curiosity.

Zelda: "N-Nobody...? But... you aren't a Nobody... you're a somebody! Why would you think of yourself like that?"

Joxhaus: "A-ah.. no, no... that's not exactly what I meant."

Now she was confused for a moment, but as Joxhaus finished getting his coat on, he took out his visual journal. And Zelda started to realize what he meant.

Zelda: "Oh... wait... you mean, _you're_ one of those creatures from your notes?"

Joxhaus: "Sort of, it's complicated, but I'll explain it as best I can if you wish."

Zelda sat down next to him but someone soon approached them. A familiar face finally managed to find them.

Impa: "Glad to see you're both still okay, but could I listen in as well?"

Zelda perked up, she seemed glad to see another friendly face. Impa did manage to get to the Lost Woods after her prior engagements with her people.

Zelda: "Impa! I'm so glad you're here."

Impa: "I hope he wasn't causing you too much trouble..."

Zelda: "No, we just had... well, an encounter with one of the 'Organization' members Joxhaus warned me about."

Impa: "Well... no wonder he looks like he just went through hell... and judging by the mess of the forest here... it seemed like a pretty intense fight."

Joxhaus: "Short-lived... but yes."

Zelda: "Impa... I fear they might be a bigger problem than the Shadows."

Impa: "... well we'll have to be more on guard then... but enough about that... Please Joxhaus, explain what you are."

Joxhaus looked up to her for a moment, then at Zelda. Soon unlocking his visual journal and turning a few pages into the section he labeled "Nobodies". He handed the book to Zelda so she could look through them. Impa soon looked at the journal from behind Zelda's shoulder.

Zelda: "They were the white creatures, with distorted bodies... And those floating Reapers from earlier?"

Joxhaus: "Also Nobodies... When the heart of someone becomes consumed by the darkness, normally that will cause the creation of a Heartless. But if that person had a strong will, they will still forge a Heartless. However, the shell that was left behind, or the 'body' as it's known in some cases, will make a will of its own. That 'empty shell' will continue to live on as a 'Nobody'."

Zelda: "So... these... odd creatures... were once the bodies of... people? Why do they look like that?"

Impa: "And if _you're_ a 'Nobody', why do you look so normal?"

Joxhaus: "I would only hope you two never have to see the process of how a Heartless is born. That process distorts the body extremely by the time the former 'body' becomes a disfigured shell. Still a byproduct of darkness... But to answer your other question. The strongest Nobodies are capable of keeping their original form... That's why I look normal, rather than the ones you see here in the book or those Reapers. We even remember what our original lives were like before becoming a Nobody."

Impa: "All of this... seems... oddly disturbing."

Zelda: "Indeed... this is a lot to take in... even as a scholar, this seems to be very surreal... but... it's very much real."

Joxhaus sighed and closed his eyes, leaning his head up against the tree, attempting to relax. Zelda looked over to him for a moment before looking back at his book. She wanted to ask more questions, but she could tell he seemed a little worn down. Considering what she's seen today, he probably needed to rest or relax now at the very least. She was however, much more intrigued by him and could see now that there was still more to him than she thought. Zelda soon closed his book and stood up.

Zelda: "Well... Let's get back to Kakariko Village. We can learn more about this later... will you need assistance getting up, Joxhaus?"

He smirked and managed to get up slowly. Zelda reached out, just in case he needed her help. He took her hand but he seemed strong enough to move himself up on his feet.

Joxhaus: "I will manage... but thank you."

Impa: "We'll set a course for Kakariko Village... Lakna Rokee Shrine should be the best place to warp to."

Zelda nodded and opened her Sheikah slate map. She grabbed a hold of both Impa and Joxhaus as she selected the shrine near Kakariko Village. The bright blue light soon enveloped all of them and they started to teleport back across the land from the Sheikah technology.

As they were returning, Joxhaus had a few thoughts roaming through his mind...

Joxhaus (inner thoughts): "_So much has happened today already... and the gears of fate have started turning. The Organization has already started their meddling so... I guess I made the right choice by staying here with Zelda... right? Although... I don't fully understand why she was so concerned for me today. I'm... just a Nobody. I'm not a hero... and I never believed I would be considered 'special' enough for someone else's own compassion... Why... why do you make me feel like a normal person...? Zelda... I truly don't deserve that honor..."_

* * *

End of Chapter 3: Conflicting Perceptions

* * *

**Author's Note****: Chapter three comes to a close and oddly enough this has been the longest chapter I've written so far for a story. Last chapter that was close to being this long was coincidentally Chapter three from _Conflicting Reality_: Fleeting Dream. It had a lot of dialog and some lengthy portions of action. But I did enjoy the majority of this chapter. I don't know if I should summarize too much about this chapter, since A LOT happened. There were some vital areas that I want to cover but... let's see... (Ah screw it, summary time.)**

**\- Zelda finds and looks into Joxhaus' visual journal. Seeing that he's a scholar in his own way, as well as an artist. But aside from that, she starts to realize there's a lot more going on with all these new creatures she's seeing early on.**

**\- She asks Joxhaus to accompany her to the Lost Woods to return the Master Sword to its origin grounds. Preparing it for Link in the future.**

**\- Short visitation of Impa and Purah, returning from their mission, and informing Zelda about seeing the Heartless for the first time. (THE RECKONING HAS COME!) Impa informs them she will join them there as soon as she's able to.**

**\- Using the Sheikah slate, the duo leaves to the Lost Woods. Joxhaus murders just about every enemy that moves within a 50 yard radius as they reach the "sacred grove". The home where the Master Sword first slept.**

**\- After returning the Master Sword back to its resting place, Joxhaus senses that they aren't alone in the woods anymore, noticing cherry blossom petals floating in the air. Two Reaper Nobodies appear to attack the duo.**

**\- Joxhaus takes down both of them, fairly easy even with the support of Zelda's bow and elemental arrows. Marluxia soon makes his appearance.**

**\- Marluxia and Joxhaus have an exchange. Being as deceptive as usual, Marluxia tries to get in their mind. His words affected both Zelda and Joxhaus in different ways. (By the way... I REALLY tried to make Marluxia's word choice and sentences important. Keep that in mind.)**

**\- Joxhaus shakes off his deception and the both start to fight. Joxhaus moved Zelda a distance away so she wouldn't get hurt, but he gets hurt from the encounter.** **Regardless, Joxhaus was capable of holding his own against the Graceful Assassin.**

**\- Marluxia leaves, realizing this fight was currently pointless for him. Zelda notices that Joxhaus is injured and requests to help him. Joxhaus was a little stubborn, insisting he was fine; Zelda soon forces her hand and makes him sit so she can perform first aid. Undoubtedly worried.**

**-Impa soon finds them and Joxhaus explains what he is, along with what Nobodies are. Referring to his journal before leaving Lost Woods.**

**Well, that's pretty much it for this chapter. Hope you all enjoyed this longer chapter! I hope the next one can come in soon! Until next time.**

**-Joxhaus**

* * *

_Next Chapter: Pursuing Shadows_


	4. Pursuing Shadows

**Author's Note: I will be constantly rereading this after this chapter's initial release (same with every chapter), so if any grammar/spelling errors are in bits of the writing then, I apologize in advance. I will try to fix those as I can. Enjoy.**

* * *

"_Those who do not know the danger of wielding power will, before long, be ruled by it... Never forget that._"

-Lanayru (Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess)

* * *

Chapter 4: Pursuing Shadows

* * *

In present time, while Link was traversing the first Shrine, a conversation was taking place outside it's boundaries... Where the lone figure had watched Link at a distance. Another hooded figured appeared to meet the other on the hilltop. Both of them had their hoods up and proceeded to converse.

?: "Well now... fancy finding you here. Still holding your cards for your secret group? Or for the Hylians? I figured you would have stayed with us a little bit longer, my dear friend."

?: "Luxord... I had my reasons for making my own individual choices... Nobody or not... but tell me, why are you here? I figured Xemnas would want me out of the picture... since leaving the Organization was not a... _recommended_ choice."

Luxord: "Funny you should ask. We have been more concerned about the boy. Your own mission is doomed to probably fail... the boy has no memory of his past life or his experiences of being a warrior. But my question is this: why are you trying to save this world? This was not your home of origin..."

?: "That... is a personal reason... suppose you could say... I kept a promise to someone... I do not intend to break that promise. However, are you still planning on killing me at some point?"

Luxord: "Ah... always keeping your morals of honor first. I should have known... but, to answer your question, no. You have known me for quite some time; you're one of the few people who could beat me at my own game... fair and square. All I have to give to you, is what respect I can give you as a former comrade... and maybe a bit of advice though... don't get your hopes too high."

?: "..."

Luxord: "... knowing you; you've already probably prepared ahead of time for any possibility, even for the ones you may not like... I should also let you know, Saix has not been super keen upon hearing about your interference. However, I don't think he's concerned about hunting you down... yet."

?: "I doubt he wants to... he has changed since the last time he's had to fight anyone at his own level... last time I saw him, he was still more at ease from my assistance than anyone else."

Luxord: "One can never be too sure... he's got an excellent poker face... I can never tell what he's thinking sometimes... but he did train you more in depth than anyone else."

?: "While that is true... I had past combat experience from more than just him... but... is that all you needed to talk to me about...?"

Luxord: "For now. Like you, I'm more concerned about watching the show. I imagine, like us, you'll step in when you feel it's necessary."

?: "You know me so well, this is why you're an excellent challenger. Always knowing your opponent inside and out, in detail in order to plan your attacks accordingly regardless of how much prior planning may have been involved... you don't think I know you just as well?"

Luxord: "Indeed... you're just as talented as I am in the long game... this is why I have no intention on fighting you... I am well aware I'd probably lose... I shall bid you farewell, for now... I do hope we can play another game as comrades again some day."

?: "In due time... perhaps."

Luxord took a few steps towards him and held out a card for him. The other looked at it for a moment before taking it.

?: "What's this for?"

Luxord: "Anyone who has beaten me at my game gets a momento... one of my few wild cards."

?: "Your calling card of mutual respect..."

Luxord: "You may need it one day. Never forget about your old partner in crime... you're one of the few people who could ever help me create a undefeated winning streak in a euchre tournament against the others..."

?: "I never understood why I was so good at that game."

Luxord: "Maybe you already knew how to play... perhaps in your first life... unfortunately, you aren't my euchre partner anymore... at least not until we're both free from this fate, or back on the same side... Be cautious if you see me again."

As their conversation ended, Luxord teleported out from the area, leaving the other by his lonesome. He gazed at the card for a moment, looking at both sides.

?: "The first life... but what's more important...? The first past life... or the present one? ... I can only go forward, into the future of the unknown now."

Shortly after, the other individual slipped the card into his pocket, as he departed from the area as well.

* * *

After taking the time to enter the odd looking Shrine, the destined hero Link explored through the unusual structure to find what appeared to be an elder sitting behind some form of wall. Made out of the similar energy that the Sheikah Slate has been using.

Link gently touched the surface of the wall and as he did so, there was a slight flash before the the wall dissipated into several strands of blue light. A voice echoed quietly to him.

Oman Au: "You have proven to possess the resolve of a true hero. I Oman Au, am the creator of this trial. I am humble monk, blessed with the sight of Goddess Hylia and dedicated to the helping of those who seek to defeat Ganon... With your arrival, my duty has been fulfilled. In the name of Goddess Hylia, allow me to bestow this gift upon you... Please accept this Spirit Orb."

Upon finishing their sentence, a small dark orb flew out of the elder's heart from a flash of faint light. It slowly collided against Link's chest before vanishing into him with streams of light fading into his heart. The elder spoke once more.

Oman Au: "May the Goddess smile upon you."

From there his body started to fade out of existence in small particles of light. Link remained silent and reverent in that process before leaving.

Once leaving the Shrine a familiar voice was calling out to him. The old man was gliding down with his paraglider to meet Link.

Old Man: "It seems you've managed to get your hands on a Spirit Orb. Well done!"

Link stared at him for a moment before asking...

Link: "How did you know?!"

Old Man: "Clairvoyance! Oho or just perhaps something similar. As one gets older, it can become more difficult to see what is right before one's own eyes... However, that which was once hidden from view can often be crystal clear. But, perhaps that is not true for everyone. Oho ho! The appearance of those towers and the awakening of this shrine..."

He paused for a moment, holding his arm and staff out, pointing toward Link's Sheikah Slate.

Old Man: "It's all connected to that Sheikah Slate you carry on your hip there."

Link: "... what do you mean...?"

Old Man: "It has been quite some time since I have seen that Sheikah Slate... Long ago a highly advanced tribe known as the Sheikah once inhabited these lands. The great power of their wisdom saved this kingdom time and time again... but, their ancient technology has long since disappeared... or so it is said. It's interesting to think that it survived all that time, hidden away in a shrine. These shrines are tucked away in numerous places all across this land... on this plateau alone I believe there are still three more. If you bring me the treasure from each of those shrines, I will give you my paraglider."

Link's own expression changed to one of disbelief and possibly a bit agitated.

Link: "That wasn't the deal!"

He sighed a bit before shaking his head.

Link: "So, I need more now?"

Old Man: "Well... perhaps I had changed my mind on the original agreement... I'm sure it won't be too difficult for a go-getter like you! Since I'm feeling generous, I'll even show you a trick to finding these shrines... Try surveying the area from a high point... perhaps try returning to the Tower you reawakened earlier?"

Both of them gazed at the tower in the distance... Link wasn't too fond of going all the way back and he especially wasn't too sure about returning there at the thought of being ambushed by those weird enemies he encountered earlier... or that guy in the black coat.

Link: "Are you joking?"

The old man chuckled at him for a moment and looked back at the young hero once more.

Old Man: "Unfortunately not, but worry not! I have another trick to show you for your effort. Take a look at your map in your Sheikah slate."

Link did as the old man instructed, he was familiarized with the lay of the land already.

Old Man: "You see those icons on your map? You recall the cave where you awoke, the shrine you just left and the tower? You can instantly travel to any of those places instantly with the Sheikah slate. Or so I have heard... I do not know if that is the case anymore."

Link: "You sure seem to know a lot..."

Old Man: "Oho ho! if you've been around as long as I have, you pick up a thing or two... now, how about you try it out."

The hero didn't really have anything to lose. Besides, the old man's knowledge hasn't steered him wrong yet. He took out the slate once more and located the Great Plateau Tower and chose to warp there. Within an instant, his body was engulfed in a blue light as he was teleported away back to the Tower...

As soon as his body was reconstructed at the power and the light faded away he had noticed the old man already beat him at the top of the tower. Link's eyes widened and figured something was fishy about this old man.

Link: "H-How did you...?"

The old man chuckled once more to his surprise, but this time gave Link a passive response.

Old Man: "Oho ho! Leave an old man to his secrets. Now then... I just wanted to join you up here so you could use this as a vantage point to find the other shrines. You should have a function on your slate that allows you to look into the distance and pin point places of interest... so you'll be able to keep track of new places on your journey."

Link: "Again... how do you know all this...?"

Old Man: "Experience, wisdom... instinct? Call it what you will and believe it if you so please... but, go ahead and look onward if you feel inclined to do so."

The chosen hero appreciated the help regardless, he still felt a little lost in the world he woke up in. He looked through the Sheikah plate, scanning around the area, locating all three of the shrines from the tower. Needless to say, he was not too thrilled about his trial and effort all for a paraglider... thankfully one of the next shrines wasn't too far from the tower. He cautiously made his way back down the tower and the old man seemed to be keeping a close eye on him.

Along the way Link fought a few more enemies and got a few more back up weapons to back up his arsenal. To his surprise, he even ran up along an odd looking machine that appeared to be stuck in the ground. The second he got close to it though, the machine lit up. It was a corrupted Guardian and it made a bit of an odd sound as it glared down the hero, locking onto him and as it charged up its weapon.

Link: "W-What the!?"

Link figured his best option of survival would be to run to cover. Fortunately for him, he got behind a wall before the Guardian made its shot. Blasting off a big chunk of the wall that Link took cover behind. Link soon made his way to the back of this smaller ancient structure and climbed over its short wall. Finding one the Shrines he located. The Shrine of Ja Baij. There were two bokoblin skeletons guarding its entrance and Link was sure to make quick work out of both of them, even finding himself a slightly better sword after the skirmish. He'll take all he can get.

As he approached the Shrine he placed the slate down in the entrance console and the Shrine, just like the last, opened up to him. He descended once more and took on the challenge that was left for him there. Down in the trial of the shrines, he continued getting more to his arsenal, more useful tools and even partial weapons to help him along the way. Link was quick to learn about the challenges and made his way to the elder, breaking the barrier once more, hearing only a faint voice speaking to him.

Ja Baij: "Your resourcefulness in overcoming this trial, speaks to the promise of a hero... In the name of Goddess Hylia, I bestow upon you this Spirit Orb."

Just like Oman Au, a small darkened orb escaped his body and collided with Link's. Right over his heart. It was now a part of him.

Ja Baij: "May the Goddess smile upon you."

He spoke before softly, before fading away just like Oman Au. Being reverent once more, Link left quietly, along with the new spirit orb in his heart. This time upon leaving, the old man didn't greet him, but he had the oddest sensation that he was being watched... however, time was of the essence. Link started to make his way to the next few shrines. Travelling what he thought at this time, was a great distance.

It only took him about a day's worth of work to make it to the two remaining shrines; the third shrine wasn't too bad, but the final shrine however, laid on Mount Hylia. Without proper winter gear, Link would be freezing to the point of catching hypothermia. But he did what he could prior before the journey to make sure he was prepared, even cooking himself a special meal that would keep him warm on the long trek up the mountain. Luckily for him, he found some warmer gear before getting to the Shrine as well.

After his final trial at Keh Namut's Shrine, he made his way back out to finally be greeted by the Old Man once more. Flying down from the sky with his paraglider again right near the entrance of the shrine.

Old Man: "With this... you've now collected all the Spirit Orbs on this plateau... Oho ho! Extraordinary!"

His cheerful tone was oddly inspiring, but that lasted only a moment as his tone changed almost immediately after.

Old Man: "That means... it's finally time. Link, it's time for me to tell you everything... however, first..."

He turns away from Link pointing out in the distance.

Old Man: "Imagine an 'X' on your map, with the four shrines as end points. Find me at the spot where they intersect... I shall be waiting for you there... Do you understand? I... will... await... there..."

The Old Man faded away in front of Link. He was absolutely confounded by what just happened. The hero gulped softly, and consulted his map once more, seeing the area that corresponds with the four shrines... It was the Temple that was near the Shrine of Awakening.

He warped himself back to the Great Plateau Tower and managed to make his way back to the Temple as dusk was soon approaching.

The Temple of Time... or what was left of it. Partially overrun by bokoblins and in a terrible state of disrepair just as the old man had mentioned prior... Link managed to make it to this sacred place at the time of twilight. He located the few bokoblins that infested the premise and took care of them easily. Ambushing them and finishing them off so that the creatures exploded into a black smoke, but as soon as he started to get comfortable, a few black shadows were appearing around him. Heartless started to make their first appearance to Link.

Link: "What the... what are these things...?"

He didn't care for standing around and thinking about it, there were only six Shadows surrounding Link and they attempted to attack him. Link kept his guard up with one of the bokoblin shields he picked up along the way and managed to take care of them easily without too much hassle, but he did get a little annoyed with them planting themselves in the ground like actual shadows.

Once his battle was complete, he noticed a statue at the end of the Temple's open space he was in. It looked like an angel of some sort and it was glowing. He stood before the statue, he could hear a voice telling him that she could give him enhanced power for the Spirit Orbs that Link has collected thus far...

Link: "I wish... for more vitality."

A light shined upon the hero and he was soon gifted with a Heart Container. As he took hold of the precious gift, he could feel its power being sent into his body as it soon disappeared. His body absorbed it.

Goddess Hylia Statue: "Go forth and bring peace to Hyrule..."

The light surrounding the statue soon faded as Link would soon hear the sound of a familiar voice... looking up he saw the old man on the rooftop, glowing in a strange aura.

Old Man: "The blessing of the goddess has made you that much more resilient, I see... Here I am! Get up here quickly!"

He walked away out of view and Link was building up even more questions in his mind as he looked around the Temple of Time, looking for a way up to the roof. He soon found the only ladder up to the roof, which was on the outside wall of the building. As the hero made it to the top, he noticed he should be especially careful up on this roof. The Temple has definitely seen better days and the roof isn't much better. It had many large holes and it seemed to be falling apart. But in view, was the old man, at the pinnacle of the Temple.

Carefully making his way over to him and reaching the end, he confronted the old man.

With a big smile on his face, the old man laughed once more and congratulated him.

Old Man: "Well done there, young one! Now then... The time has come to show you who I truly am... I was King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule... I was... the last leader of Hyrule. A kingdom which no longer exists."

A bright light engulfed the old man, blinding Link for a second as it soon faded away. Link appeared to be a bit more than surprised as the old man's attire completely changed.

King Rhoam: "The Great Calamity was merciless... it devastated everything in its path, Io, a century ago. It was then when my life was taken away from me. And since that time, here I have remained, in spirit form."

He turned away from Link for a moment, looking out the window that was near him.

King Rhoam: "I did not think it was wise to overwhelm you while your memory was still fragile. So rather than that, I thought it best to assume a temporary form... Forgive me..."

The king was silent for a moment as he looked back to his once owned castle in the distance, now surrounded in a terrible dark aura.

King Rhoam: "I think you are now ready. Ready to hear what happened 100 years ago... To know Calamity Ganon's true form, one must know the story from an age long past. The demon king was born into this kingdom, but his transformation into Malice created the horror you see now. Stories of Ganon were passed from generation to generation in the form of legends and fairy tales... But there was also a prophecy. 'The signs of a resurrection of Calamity Ganon are clear. And the power to oppose it lies dormant beneath the ground.'

We decided to heed the prophecy and began excavating large areas of the kingdom. It wasn't long before we found ancient relics, made from our distant ancestors. These relics, the Divine Beasts, were giant machines piloted by warriors. We also found the Guardians, an army of mechanical soldiers who fought autonomously. This coincided with the ancient legends, often repeated in our land. We also learned of a princess with a sacred power and her appointed knight, chosen by the sword that seals darkness.

It was them who sealed away Ganon using the power of these ancient relics... 100 years ago, there was a princess set to inherit a scared power and a skilled knight at her side. It was clear that we must follow our ancestors' path. We selected four skilled individuals from across Hyrule and tasked them with the duty of piloting the Divine Beasts. And with the princess as their commander, we dubbed these pilots as Champions... a name that would solidify their unique bond.

The princess, her knight and the Champions were on the brink of sealing away Ganon... but nay. Ganon was cunning, and responded with a plan of his own beyond our imagining. He appeared from deep below Hyrule Castle, seized control of the Guardians and the Divine Beasts... turning them against us... The Champions lost their lives. Those residing in the castle as well... the appointed knight was gravely wounded and collapsed while defending the princess... and thus the kingdom of Hyrule was devastated absolutely by Calamity Ganon. However, the princess survived to face Ganon alone... That princess was my own daughter... my dear Zelda..."

The King turned to look back at Link for a moment. His eyes piercing through the hero.

King Rhoam: "And the courageous knight who protected her right up to the very end... That knight was none other than you, Link. You fought valiantly when your fate took an unfortunate turn. And then, you were taken to the Shrine of Resurrection. Here you now stand revitalized, 100 years later... The words of guidance you have been hearing since you have awoken have been from Princess Zelda herself. Even now, as she works to restrain Ganon from within Hyrule Castle, she calls out for your help. However, my daughter's power will soon be exhausted. Once that happens, Ganon will be free to regenerate himself and nothing will stop him from consuming our land in darkness. Considering I could not save my own kingdom, I have no right to ask this of you, Link... But I am powerless here... you must save her... my daughter. And do whatever it takes to annihilate Ganon... Somehow, Ganon has maintained control all four Divine Beasts, as well as those Guardians swarming Hyrule Castle... so I believe it would be too reckless to head directly to the castle at this point. I suggest you head east to one of the villages out in the wilderness. Follow the road to Kakariko Village."

He holds his arm out and points eastward. Link comes up next to him to gaze in that direction with him.

King Rhoam: "There you will find the elder Impa. She will tell you more about the path that lies ahead. Consult the map in your Sheikah slate for a precise location of Kakariko Village. Make your way past the twin summits of the Dueling Peaks. From there, follow the road as it proceeds north..."

The King turns to Link to face him again, he seemed a bit more somber now.

King Rhoam: "and here... this is the paraglider, just as I promised."

He gave the paraglider to Link and the hero put it away in his inventory for the meantime.

King Rhoam: "With that you should be able to safely fly off of the cliffs surrounding this area... one more thing before I forget... I'm sure you've also noticed there have been more... creatures in our land... different from that of the bokoblins that Ganon controls... some shadow-like creatures rumored to be called "Heartless" have been infesting the kingdom since my passing... I unfortunately know very little about them or where they came from..."

Link: "I've also encountered some unusual white creatures too... with spikes for arms and legs... do you know anything about them by chance?"

King Rhoam: "The ones that attacked you on the Great Plateau Tower? Unfortunately, I know less about them than these "Heartless"... all I know is that they are undoubtedly linked to the figure in the black coat you encountered earlier... Even after my passing, a 'second darkness' was purely speculated and rumored about after the fall of my kingdom... while peace resides now... you must be on guard at all times now Link. While Ganon must be stopped at all costs... I apologize for asking you again for your assistance but, please stop this 'second darkness' if you can."

Link: "I will... I promise your majesty... is there anything else?"

King Rhoam: "I think... that's it. I've told you everything I know. Link... you must save... Hyrule..."

As the King finished his last sentence, he faded out of existence, only blue flames were left at the edges of the walls of the Temple. The hero was left alone for a moment as he sighed to himself and walked to the edge of the debris on the east side of the building. It was perfect for jumping off to fly towards Kakariko Village, but Link took a moment think about everything so far.

Link: "Save Hyrule and Zelda... from Calamity Ganon... and a 'second darkness' ... guess I should head to Kakariko Village."

?: "Oh please, you think you've got what it takes to pull off a miracle like that? Then you've got another thing coming pretty boy."

Link: "W-what?"

The hero turned himself around to see a void appear in front of him and a woman in slicked back, blonde hair exited from the void. Dawning an black coat similar to the figure he encountered before.

Link: "Who are you?"

Larxene: "The name's Larxene and it would be best if you remember that if you plan on getting in the Organization's way... and do you really think you can handle everything that old geezer told you to do? You're just one failure of a guy, and a poor excuse for a knight at best, if you ask me."

Link: "What'd you say!?"

Larxene: "Oh I'm sorry~ Do I have to spell it out? Or should I say it louder? You're. A. **Failure**. Mr. 'chosen Hero'. If you were truly 'skilled' as the old geezer said you were, you wouldn't have fallen to such pitiful creatures that you have in this world... and that poor girl holding off the darkness all alone~. Little miss Zelda was it? She could hardly do anything on her own... not without her little knight protecting her... she was destined to die. From **your** failure to keep yourself alive! Quite pathetic on your part 'hero'."

Larxene gave a few dramatic poses to accompany her heavy sarcasm. Link drew his sword, a bit agitated by the insults, but knew to be wary and cautious around this enemy. The Savage Nymph smirked and only chuckled to see his response. She loved getting under one's skin and she usually knew how to trigger a few nerves easily.

Larxene: "Oh please, Luxord already told me how much of a pushover you were without even fighting you. If a few measly dusks can push you around, I think I'll easily break you for my own enjoyment. Ahahaha!"

A lightning strike hit her hand as she threw it up in the air and her signature knives were placed between her fingers. Link was temporarily blinded by the flash of lightning, but before he could even react Larxene had maneuvered right in front of him, kicking Link right out the open ledge from the Temple of Time. He even felt a quick feeling of electricity surging through him from the impact. As he was falling out of the Temple his reflexes were responding just fast enough to take out his paraglider, but due to his positioning he was just fortunate enough to land on the ground without any severe fall damage. However, Link collapsed as he landed, feeling in pain from that one kick alone. He laid on the ground for a short time, but eventually managed to get up, still feeling sore.

Larxene was watching him get up. She already moved down to ground level where he was at, but she was a few yards away from him. She snickered at him as he got up slowly.

Larxene: "You didn't die? Wow, I'm only slightly impressed! Perhaps you still have some fight in you after all, huh? Ehehe~"

Link was struggling to even move, he was still trying to recover from the first hit. He seemed like he could fall over at any moment.

Larxene: "You poor excuse for a knight... Killing you as you are now isn't even fun... Especially, if you're not gonna put up that much of a fight... Heh... I'll tell you what kid. I'll let you live for now and maybe when you get good, I'll have the luxury of breaking you to my purest satisfaction. So, don't go dying on me until I come back alright? Tah-tah for now~"

She snickered once more before leaving through another dark void. Teleporting herself away from the hero. Link immediately sat down and took out some food he had with him. Taking a moment to take care of himself and any possible injuries she might have left on him.

Link: "What kind of people are they...?"

His concerns for this 'second darkness' only seemed to grow more as he kept encountering these Organization members... After getting his energy back from a small snack, he felt he would be ready to travel to Kakariko Village soon... But before then, he needed to rest. It was already nightfall and Link felt the need to make sure he would be more than ready for the journey tomorrow.

For the evening, he made a fire and sleeping arrangements in the remains of the Temple of Time.

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End of Chapter 4: Pursuing Shadows

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**Author's Notes: Hey there readers. Thanks for making it to the end of this chapter. I apologize for not really uploading in a long while. I'm enduring my last semester as a college student and life has been rather hectic for me. Trying to complete final projects and other things before the end of the year. And that includes micromanaging holidays, family things, personal life stuff, etc. Just a lot. And transitioning my life after that is going to make this more difficult. But I'm not going to stop writing or creating any time soon. Anyway, few things to note:**

**\- A lot of activity that goes on as Link progresses his journey, is all under the assumption that he's been playing along in the main sections of the story. While still making his own decisions. Things like shrines will not have as much detail, because it's just a short little challenge and most people should already have an idea of what's going on in the world of Breath of the Wild.**

**\- Just like Chapter 2, there was still a lot of beginning and tutorial stuff in the story. The BIG reveal of the King was in here and the big story about what happened 100 years ago is also in this chapter. Most of which, dialog did not change from the game. However, there are some sections towards the end regarding their world having Heartless becoming an issue as well as the Organization and the Nobodies. Not as much detail was regarded in their conversation since they both knew very little about it.**

**\- Larxene appears soon after the King disappears and Link's lonely moment. Antagonizing him about being a failure as a hero before literally kicking him out of the steeple. She would soon leave him be for the evening, saying that he needs to "git gud", so she can have the privilege of breaking him formally later.**

**I think that's all for now... I have an extra side scene already written out, but that will be saved for the preview of the next chapter coming up. Thanks again for reading. ^_^ Until next time.**

**\- Joxhaus**

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_Next Chapter: Dreams Before Exodus preview_


	5. Dreams Before Exodus (preview)

**Author's Note****: Hey lookie here, I'm not dead. Since it's been a while since I've shared any real progress, here's the preview for this next chapter. This one is going to be a bit longer than I expected, but there's just a lot that I wanted to get into this chapter (however, most of that will come in the full version). There's some prep work that needs to be done before getting the full version out. I still need a few opinions before I commit to the continuation of the story. Might talk more about it at the end. Anyway, enjoy.**

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Chapter 5: Dreams Before Exodus (preview)

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Back at the Great Plateau Tower, the night was still young and just as dark. Two figures in black coats were standing at the edge of the tower. One of them was longingly gazing at the moon that shone over the skies if Hyrule that evening. The other, Marluxia, was facing away from him.

Marluxia: "So... are you or the superior ever going to inform us about what this little plan is more in depth? Xemnas is certainly not telling us about the details."

?: "No... and if I were you, I'd watch it. You're already on thin ice Marluxia. All you, and the others need to know, is that you follow your orders exactly. Neither I, nor Xemnas will not tolerate any deviation from it... fortunately for you, if you weren't needed as a primary vessel... you would have been destroyed by me already. So, I expect proper cooperation nonetheless."

The Graceful Assassin was by no means thrilled by the response, furrowing his brows in agitation. But for now, he would play along nicely.

Marluxia: "Of course..."

There was a bit of tension, but the silence was soon broken by Larxene, joining them at the pinnacle of the tower.

Larxene: "Well... that was short-lived, but kinda fun."

She sighed softly and rolled her eyes. She was fine seeing Marluxia but not the other.

?: "Larxene... I believe the orders where to warn him and have the Dusks occupy his time... not to cripple him."

Larxene: "Whoopsie. Guess I kinda forgot about those details a little~ But, if we're being honest, I needed to blow off some steam anyway! And what better way to do that then to test out the new punching bag?"

?: ". . ."

Larxene: "Ugh! Really? You're going to be that much of a stick in the mud, just because I gave him one good kick? He'll probably still be feeling that in the morning, I'd say that works just as well as any Dusk ambush."

?: "You still went against the orders... just as a reminder, we need the boy... '_alive_', understood?"

Larxene: "Yes, commander Saix, sir! ... We get it."

Her sarcasm and retaliation was still strong, even against her own 'allies'. She couldn't care less how it was handled, as long as things still ran according to plan.

Marluxia: "We are aware we need him alive... but, this is exactly why I asked my question prior. Why is he so important? He's not the same as the seven wielders of Light. Why not just let the boy die and let the darkness run rampant here? Without the 'hero and goddess of light', this world will more than likely fall into darkness."

The second in command for the first Organization XIII, the Lunar Divider, Saix was by no means interested in their own concerns and interests. He was intrinsically loyal to the Organization, while having his own private agenda.

Saix: "You two still aren't seeing the bigger picture. We could care less about the boy... but, he will be the key, to the center of what is desired."

Marluxia was quiet, but Larxene tilted her head quizzically. She hated it when the others were speaking in a cryptic code.

Larxene: "So... what the hell does that even mean?"

Saix: "... Marluxia... has Xigbar confirmed Joxhaus' whereabouts as of late? With this 'hero' arising, he will no doubt make an appearance..."

Larxene: "Hey! Don't tune me out! ANSWER ME!"

Marluxia: "Calm down Larxene... Saix... as for Xigbar's reports... Joxhaus hasn't been seen since the princess of light sacrificed herself to trap the dark beast in that castle. That's been well over 100 years. Rumors have gone around to say he's been in hiding in this world... but no one can even confirm that to be the case so far."

Saix: "... I see. He is still resilient... as I expected... If he is ever sighted, do not engage, report to me immediately. As for now, you two are dismissed. Return to the Castle That Never Was."

Larxene: "Hmph... alright, sounds fine to me."

Marluxia: "Very well then..."

With that, the duo left Saix alone at the tower of the Great Plateau using a Dark Corridor to return to their base of operations. He returned to look up at the moon. It seemed calming to him.

Saix: "Some... are mindless, while others are rebellious... I don't fully understand why you would leave the only place you knew, the only home you had among us... but, maybe it was because you knew too much. You found out and knew about **_the truth_**... not that I don't blame you... I would not want to live in the fate that we were gifted now... but, at the end of the day... I don't have much of a choice... I have to succeed in my own mission... even if that means, putting you down... my resolve will be absolute. You can only hide yourself with your powers for so long."

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Returning to the past in Kakariko Village, the day was fairly late and for the meantime Impa invited Zelda and Joxhaus to dine at her home for the evening to discuss their next move. Zelda would more than likely have to confront Calamity Ganon within the next day, since the roars have been growing louder. However, for the rest of the evening Zelda and Joxhaus managed to get themselves cleaned up a little bit after their encounter with Marluxia, prior to returning the Master Sword to its home. Zelda barely had a scratch on her, while Joxhaus was still standing in a blood stained and torn coat.

While Impa was preparing for the evening, she suggested that they both go to the spa house for a bit to get properly cleaned up. This was an addition to the inn that Joxhaus stayed at prior to leaving earlier in the day. However, once they got there, two Hylian guards accompanied Zelda as she went to her side of the spa house, guarding the women's entrance for obvious reasons. Before Joxhaus entered the male side of the spa house he was stopped by Impa.

Impa: "Joxhaus, I know you've had quite a busy day... but can I speak with you for a moment?"

Joxhaus: "... I suppose, what is it?"

Impa: "I wish to apologize to you for any prior hostility I gave to you when we first met. I'm sure the princess has informed you of my extra duties aside from being a primary leader for my clan."

Joxhaus: "Yes... she has informed me that you are her secondary protector, should anything happen to her knight or the Champions... So, I understand the defensive action you took prior to meeting. You were only doing your job."

Impa: "Indeed... I never hold back on my word. However, I had to inform my top clan defenders of the new threats we have to soon deal with earlier today... I still have to protect my own people too you know? ... and with the kingdom in its current state, I needed to send out messengers to warn the other towns, villages and business' in the kingdom of this threat. And tomorrow, I will have to double that order again, seeing as how these, 'Organization' members are an even bigger threat... but with that aside... thank you for keeping Zelda safe today. You have earned my respect, as well as my peoples' respect for putting your life on the line to protect hers."

Joxhaus seemed to have a blank stare while he listened to her. His eyes were still emotionless, but still seemed to have some form of energy in them. He looked away for a moment, keeping himself quiet even.

Joxhaus: "... there is no need for thanks... I was merely doing my own job... but I am just glad she's safe too."

Impa folded her arms a bit, seeming a bit displeased with his reaction and response. She even tilted her head some to try and make eye contact too. She didn't completely understand why he was acting this way.

Impa: "... I didn't want to ask this question... but why do you always seem so, emotionless? You didn't take my gratitude the way I thought you would have..."

Joxhaus: "That answer is something I didn't want to talk about earlier... Nobodies, like myself, don't have hearts..."

Impa's eyes widened. She thought that statement was bewildering. Her own expression seemed frustratingly concerned but also confused.

Impa: "No... hearts...? What does that even mean?"

Joxhaus laid a hand on his chest... where his heart would be and sighed softly to himself, before letting his hand fall to the side. He finally managed to make eye contact with her for a moment before responding.

Joxhaus: "Nobodies, no matter how complex or simple, we are incapable of feeling emotions properly. If you ever come across Organization member like Zelda and I did, you might see that they would have a small hint of personality... but ultimately, they can't feel anything aside from physical pain. We are all empty on the inside. Only difference between me and them, is the fact that I actually care enough to hold onto some sense of morality... some humanity... Not to be some puppet with a lack of concern for anyone else."

Impa honestly didn't know what to say. As the Shiekah leader, she was strong at heart and wise in mind... she's seen and dealt with a lot of different things in her time, but never in her life would she have ever come across someone like him... she didn't even believe him at first but after everything that's happened lately, she started to believe it.

Impa: "I see... I find that so hard to believe... but after everything you've told us today... about you and the Nobodies... I can see it... I can't even imagine what that's like... not being able to feel emotions properly. To be empty... I can understand why you wouldn't want to tell anyone that."

For a moment the two could hear Zelda humming in her side of the spa house. Almost as if she were trying to sing quietly to herself... Joxhaus actually turned his eyes and head to listen to her... but his expression changed ever so faintly. Impa noticed this little change and she was now a bit curious.

Impa: "... you care about her don't you...?"

The Nobody's face turned pink and he darted his head back to her. Resisting and retaliating the idea she asked him.

Joxhaus: "W-what do you mean!? D-don't be absurd...! I-I'm just doing my duty to keep this timeline and reality moving forward... I... I..."

He stopped himself before sighing heavily. He took a moment to breathe and to regain his composure. Unfortunately his reaction was not what either of them expected. His face was still pink at the thought...

Impa: "You do care about her... but doesn't that contradict what you said about not being able to 'feel anything'?"

Joxhaus: "... No, not necessarily... Nobodies can 'care' because that's a frame of mind for the most part... you're referring more on the lines of 'love' if I'm not mistaken... that comes from the heart... but... all we Nobodies wish for, is for us to be normal again... to be complete and able to feel properly again... It's not impossible... but we're just broken people... trying to be fixed..."

For the moment they were both quiet, until Joxhaus turned to the door for the men's spa house.

Joxhaus: "Please don't inform Zelda of this conversation... Anyway... I should get cleaned up. I'm sure we'll talk again soon..."

Impa: "One last thing..."

She took his torn clothes and coat for a moment, holding onto them.

Impa: "I'll have the village seamstress see if she can get these mended for you tonight. They should be done before you two get out... but if not, you may use the robes that the house provides temporarily."

Joxhaus: "... alright... I appreciate it."

With that, they parted for now. Joxhaus sighed softly and looked around as he entered the men's side of the spa house. It seemed like a genuine hot spring was in the center of his side of the room; there was a divider wall between the men and women spas, but there was a bit of a gap along the top so if conversation between two parties was needed, it would be possible... to Joxhaus, it seemed to be an easy trap for perverts to try and peep on women... The spa room itself was steamy, almost to the point where it might have been tough to see from longer distances. As he made his way to the spa, he cautiously stepped into the water... it was certainly hotter than he expected.

Joxhaus: "... A-ah!"

The Nobody flinched to the heat for a moment, but like most people he adapted to it and eventually sat down in the hot water. His wound from Marluxia still stung a bit as the hot water slowly cleaned off the dried blood... overall, it was relaxing.

Zelda: "Oh...? Joxhaus? Are you in here now?"

Zelda called out from her side. The room wasn't too big, so neither of them had to really speak up.

Joxhaus: "Yes...? I was stopped by Impa before coming in. She told me she would find someone to mend my coat."

Zelda: "I see... how is your injury?"

Joxhaus: "It's a little sensitive... but I think the warm water is helping it quite a bit."

Zelda sighed to herself on the other side, she seemed to be relieved. The only sounds that could be heard was the faint movement in the spas water.

Zelda: "I'm glad... you had me worried you know... I didn't want to lose another important guardian..."

Joxhaus was silent for a moment. He was merely thinking to himself, but even so, the quiet was a little unsettling, even for him in this situation. He figured it would be best to keep some conversation going.

Joxhaus: "I apologize for making you worry... tell me... were you singing a moment ago? Or humming before I entered?"

Zelda: "W-well... y-yes... I normally sing or hum little songs I've known since I was a child while I'm in the bath... or in the spas all alone.

Joxhaus: "I see... you have a very lovely voice... I can only imagine your singing is heavenly."

Zelda seemed to giggle at his remark from the other side of the spa room.

Zelda: "I don't like to sing around others... i-it's a little embarrassing... father enjoyed it years ago before I started training to wield Hylia's light... even Link has heard me sing once... although, perhaps one day, I'll sing again... when we have no more fears to worry about. No more Calamity, no more threats... just peace in my kingdom..."

There was a bit of silence among them for a short moment. The Nobody still questioned what kind of life she lived prior to the Calamity uprising... he wasn't sure if he should ask about it... at least for right now.

Joxhaus: "I would love to hear you sing someday..."

Zelda: "Maybe I will sing just for you one day Joxhaus... Just... not right now..."

There was soon a disheartened sigh, Zelda herself only lowered her body more into the hot water. The silence being more deafening in the moment.

Zelda: "Tomorrow... I will go confront Ganon... I still don't feel ready... but it has to be done."

Joxhaus: "... Unfortunately so... many people believe in you Zelda, so do not be afraid. Put all of the strength you have in your heart tomorrow... I promise you, that you won't regret it... If you so desire, I'll even escort you as close as you need to get to the castle."

Zelda: "We'll discuss our plans for tomorrow with Impa in a little while... although, I will consider it Joxhaus... thank you."

The Princess smiled softly to herself. With some semblance of peace in her mind, she finally managed to relax for a bit. She would sigh softly, she seemed more content now. After some time has passed, Zelda decided to get out of the spa and started to clean herself up a bit. She moved around a bit so Joxhaus could only hear the movement in the water. She soon wrapped a towel around herself and started to dry off.

Joxhaus: "... all done?"

The Nobody asked nonchalantly to the Princess. She giggled as she finished drying herself off.

Zelda: "Yes, of course. I can't spend the whole night in here, even if I wanted to. You may take a little more time if you need, since you were in here a little later than I was."

Joxhaus: "... of course. I should be done shortly then."

Zelda: "You don't need to rush, you're still recovering, remember?"

Joxhaus: "Yes, yes, I am aware... you mustn't worry for me."

Zelda: "Well, I shall be waiting for you then..."

Joxhaus: "Very well Zelda..."

For the time being, the room went quiet and Joxhaus sighed softly to himself. He seemed to look up at the ceiling for a short time. He was thinking about a lot of different things. He had only been in this world for a short time but he somehow found himself wondering if he really has feelings for this Princess... He wouldn't be completely surprised, because from his own research, he found that making strong connections and relationships with others filled with light can mend some of the issues that Nobodies have... it's not perfect or pure fact, but it was a speculated theory... started by Xemnas in a few hidden reports on the other Organization members. For now, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax a bit more as many more thoughts clouded his mind...

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End of Chapter 5: Dreams Before Exodus preview

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**Author's Note: So, this is a modest preview yes? It's not perfect, but this is a preview after all. Things are subject to change. Also... before I forget, get your minds out of the gutter! xD ****I was very ecstatic for making a very small "spa scene" (I think I've been watching too much anime lately that have had similar scenes...). **

**This chapter does have a lot more coming in once the full version is released. Even another Organization member appearance (an oddly unexpected one at that).**

**So what I wanted to accomplish in this chapter was to drop a little more backstory on what's supposedly going on (without giving it all away). With that, there would be a follow up calm before the storm for the next important event. While trying to have a small bonding moment or two with the Princess and the Nobody. **

** \- I REALLY WANTED to emphasize my Nobody's current position in this story. I want the conflicting feelings and the internal questions of "Am I truly doing the right thing?", "Why am I feeling this way?", "Are my feelings truly real? or based off of my memories?" to be noticed. More will be added in the full version obviously.**

** \- Readers, I want you to understand the Nobody perspective. Anyone who is familiar with Kingdom Hearts 365/2 days or even the few events from Kingdom Hearts 2 or Dream Drop Distance would know that being a Nobody at first, you truly have no emotions, but your personality and supposed "feelings" are based off of your memories as a past human (or at least that's what Axel told Roxas in the beginning). Roxas questioned his very self and his feelings frequently in both Kindgom Hearts 365/2 days and in the beginning of Kingdom Hearts 2, so he's a prime example of what my Nobody is going through in some of these "bonding" moments. [However, in that same game (Dream Drop Distance) Xemnas informs Sora that Nobodies can actually grow their own hearts... but that's a whole can of worms I really don't want to get into. xD I have my own theory about his statement and the validity of it, but that's not going to go here.]**

**So, this chapter's full version might also answer the question: "Is Sora going to get involved?" (This is the bigger reason why it's taking so long to get done.) I'm still unsure if I want to involve Sora into my story but it is a possibility. Just gotta wait and see. **

**Last thing, once the full chapter comes out, I am going to do my usual, "chapter 5 whole story open opinion/talk about the story as a whole so far" thing. I would like to hear opinions on the story thus far, but I'm not going to be as adamant about asking for said opinions. So once the whole thing is out, feel free to leave a small review, I'd like to get more opinions eventually (hopefully positive/constructive ones). **

**Anyway thanks for reading the preview. Hopefully the full version will get done soon... (I'm about to start working soon so, please be mindful that it's going to be a challenge to get more writing in but I'll keep doing my best to get it done.)**

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_Next Chapter: Dreams Before Exodus (full version, duh xD)_


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